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ALDEN'S MISSIONS. 







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ACCOUNT 

or 

SUNDRY MISSIONS 

PERFORMED AMONG THE 

SENECAS AND MUNSEES; 

IN A SERIES OF LETTERS. 



■WITH 

AN APPENDIX. 



BY REV. TIMOTHY ALDEN, 

President of Alleghany College. ^- 



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new-yorkX^^ 

PRINTED BY J. SEYMOUR. 

1827. 



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fleirfA<rn District of Ntw-Yorb, st. 

BE IT REMEMBERED. That on the first day of 
June, iu the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and 
twenty-seven, and iu the fifty-first year of the Independence 
of the United State* of America. Timothy Aldf.n, of the snid 
District, hath deposited in this office the title of a book, the 
right whereof he claims as author and proprietor, in the words 
following, to wit: 

«' An Account of sundry Missions performed among the 
Senecas and Munsees, in a series of Lelier«. With an Appendix. 
By Kev Timothy Alden, President of Alleghany College." 

In conformity to the Act of Congress of (he United Ftates, 
entitled, "An Act for tiie encouragpment of Leirniiig. by se- 
curing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors 
and proprietors of such copies, during the times 'herein men- 
tioned" And also to an Act entitled, "An Act supplementary 
to an Act entitled. An Act for the encouragement of Learning, 
by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, totheau- 
tiiors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein 
mentioned, and extending the benefits thereofto the arts of de- 
signing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints." 

FRED. J BETTS, 
Clerk of the Southern District of Kcw-Yeik. 



INTRODUCTION, 

Addressed to the Rev. Timothy Alden^ of 
Yarmouth, in Massachusetts. 



My dear and venerable Father, 

It is a cause of gratitude, that, your 
pilgrimage having been extended through 
nearly one-twentieth part of the christian 
era, you are favoured with a comfortable 
degree of health. It is, however, a cause 
of warmer gratitude to the Giver of all 
good, that, indulged with the exercise of 
your intellectual* faculties, you are ena- 
bled to meditate with delight, in the eve- 
ning of your long protracted life, on the 
glorious overtures of grace, which signa- 
lize the present day, and to rejoice in the 
dawning prospect of what God will fur- 
ther do for the salvation of the world. 

In the following pages, you will find 
sundry statements, some parts of which 
you have probably noticed, several years 

* Appendix, Note A. 

A2 



since, in the Christian Herald or other 
religious publications, which, while they 
show the progressive temporal, moral, 
and religious, improvement of an interest- 
ing portion of our aboriginal descend- 
ants, will gladden your heart and anmiate 
your devotions in supplicating the throne 
of mercy for the approach of that joyous 
period, when our Heavenly Father will 
give to the Son of his infinite love the 
heathen for his inheritance, and the utter- 
most parts of the earth for a possession 
for ever. 

During the twelve years I have resided 
in Western Pennsylvania, my time has 
been much occupied in the endeavour to 
rear a collegiate institution ; yet my cle- 
rical functions in that destitute region 
have seldom ceased, and those, who are 
the rising hope of church and state in the 
back woods settlements, embarking in 
the sabbath school enterprise, have not 
been neglected. Certain intervals, how- 
ever, of relaxation from multifarious cares, 
have been allotted to the spiritual inte- 



rests of the Senecas and Munsees, loca- 
ted, mostly, within the hmits of the state 
of New-York, the result of which is now 
respectfully submitted to the public. 

The leading object of this httle work 
is to exhibit an account of numerous in- 
terviews with many of the principal 
chiefs of these' tribes, in private, in coun- 
cil, and especially in assemblies convened 
for religious instruction, with skeletons of 
addresses made to them and their people, 
and notices of speeches delivered in re- 
ply, with various incidental matter. 

Should this volume furnish any useful 
documents for some future missionary 
history of our beloved country ; should it 
be deemed worthy of a place in the li- 
braries of the literary, and of the pious, 
and of sabbath school establishments ; 
and should it tend to add to the excite- 
ment, which, within a few years, has been 
happily created in favour of the still too 
much neglected remains of a once noble 
race of men, I shall not regret its publi- 
cation. 



That your life may be continued as 
long as life can be a blessing ; that you 
may constantly realize the comforts of 
that holy religion, which you have preach- 
ed to successive generations, and for the 
tranquil enjoyment of which our ances- 
tors, the Pilgrims of Leyden, encountered 
hardships, the simple recital of which 
seems like a romance ; and that, having 
waited with patience your appointed 
time, you may, at length, enter upon that 
rest, which remaineth to the people of 
God, in the triumphs of faith and of hopCj 
is the prayer of your dutiful son, 

THE AUTHOR. 
£8 May, 1827. 



AN ACCOUNT 

OF 

SUNDRY MISSIONS. 



LETTER I. 

Addressed to the late Rev. Joseph MKean, 
LL D, D. D. Boylston Professor of Rhe- 
toric and Oratory at Harvard CollegCf 
in Massachusets. 

Meadville, Tenn. 20th September, 1816. 
REV. AND DEAR SIR, 

I returned, a ^ew days since, from a 
missionary excursion, on which I acted as a 
volunteer, accompanied by my eldest son,* 
into the regions of the Brokenstraw and of 
parts still more remote ; or, in the language 
of our aboriginal predecessors, of the Koshe- 
nuhteagunk and of the Chauddaukwa lake.j 



* Timothy John Fox Alden, now an attorney and counsellor 
•tlaw, in Meadville. 
t See Appendix, Note B. 



10 

Could you have been my fellow labourer, 
in this extensive vineyard, it would have given 
you a heartfelt delight to have dispensed the 
glorious truths of the gospel to the numerous 
little assemblies which promptly convened, in 
season and out of season, to hear the words 
of eternal life. You would have experienced 
much satisfaction to have witnessed the pre- 
sent state of population, industry, and im- 
provement, in this section of our country, 
which, within the memory of many, was the 
haunt of savages and of beasts of prey. It 
would have afforded you special gratification 
to have visited the venerable Kiendtwohke, 
the noted chief, generally known by the name 
of Cornplanter, and to have seen him and the 
tawny natives of his village listening to the 
doctrines of the Bible. 

An abstract from that part of my journal, 
which relates to our tour in the Indian settle- 
ments, I trust, will not be unacceptable. 

From Owen's ferry, on the Konnewonggo, 
which is sixty miles from Meadville and about 
fourteen above the confluence of that creek 
with the Alleghany river, at Warren, to the 
first Indian huts, in an easterly direction, the 
distance is twelve miles, through ten of which 



11 

is a newly cut and excellent wagon road over 
a lofty ridge, of easy ascent, but through a 
dreary wilderness without one human habi- 
tation. After riding most of the day in a cold 
and unceasing rain, we were glad to find a shel- 
ter in the cabin of Peter Kraus, who lives on 
the westerly bank of the Alleghany. Here 
we experienced no little kindness because of 
the present rain and because of the cold. 

After a simple and refreshing repast, we 
had a comfortable night's rest on a blanket 
spread before a good fire, which was kindly 
left for our exclusive use. Our host, of Ger- 
man parentage, was taken in time of the 
revolutionary war, at the age of fourteen 
years, and was adopted as one of the Seneca 
tribe. He appears in the aboriginal costume, 
and his countenance is scarcely a shade lighter, 
than that of his neighbours. His ears have 
long since been slit, from the apex to the 
lower extremity, in conformity to a fashion, 
formerly, much admired and much followed by 
the warriours of the desert. His habitual lan- 
guage is that of the soft and melodious Sene- 
ca ; yet he is able to converse in English and 
a little in his vernacular tongue. His squaw 
is a well behaved, neat, and industrious wo- 



* 12 

man, and they have a numerous family of fine 
looking children. He thankfully received 
one of the Bibles, of which we had brought a 
number from the Meadville Bible Society for 
gratuitous distribution. He has never been 
taught to read ; yet his children are learning, 
and he expressed the hope of one day profit- 
ing, through their aid, by the contents of this 
sacred volume. 

On the following morning, we bent our 
course seven miles down the Alleghany, in a 
narrow foot path, through the woods, and in 
one place along a defile of forbidding aspect 
over the steep side of a mountain, passing 
some Indian improvements, to Cornplanter's 
village. The site of this, which compiises 
about a dozen buildings, is on a handsome 
piece of first rate bottom land, a little within 
the limits of Pennsylvania. It was grateful 
to notice, from the many enclosures of thrifty 
maize, buckwheat, and oats, the present agri- 
cultural habits of the inhabitants. As a fur- 
ther evidence of recent melioration of condi- 
tion, there was a considerable show of oxen, 
cows, and horses ; and likewise of logs brought 
from the adjacent forest, designed for the 
saw-mill and the Pittsburffh market. 



IS 



Last year, the Western Missionary Society, 
at the urgent request of Cornplanter, estab- 
lished a school in this village, the present 
master of which is Samuel Oldham. We re- 
paired to his house and were hospitably en- 
tertained. Cornplanter, as soon as apprised 
of our arrival, came to sec us, and without- 
solicitation immediately took charge of our 
horses. Though the most distinguished cha- 
racter of his tribe, and having many around 
him to obey his commands, yet it was his 
pleasure to serve, in ipsa persona propria, in 
the prirait.ve patriarchal style. He accord- 
ingly went into the field, cut a sufficiency of 
oats, and faithfully fed our beasts, from time 
to time, while we continued in the place. 

On our first introduction, I told him that I 
was a jinestaje, the term, by which, in his 
language, a clergyman is know^n. A meeting 
was appointed in the afternoon, at the school- 
house, which was well filled, and mostly by 
the tawny natives neatly clad, and, in some 
instances, with a display of silver brooches^ 
stars, hat-bands, and other ornaments, for 
which they have a great predilection. A 
more attentive audience I have never had. 
During prayer, Cornplanter's lips, as it was 



14 

afterwards remarked, were in continual mo- 
tion. How much of what was delivered, on 
the occasion, was comprehended, I cannot 
state ; yet it is supposed, that these Indians 
understand much more of the English, than 
they, in general, are willing to acknowledge. 
.Many people have an idea that they feign an 
ignorance of our language, hoping to hear, 
from the mouths of their white brethren, 
something in reference to themselves, which, 
otherwise, would not be brought to their un- 
derstanding. Be this as it may, it is certain, 
that they manifest a reluctance at conversing 
in any language, except their own, even when 
it is known to be in their power. 

During our abode at Jennesadaga, for this 
is the aboriginal name of the little town, we 
visited the school, and were much gratified at 
the order, attention, and proficiency, of the 
pupils. At the time we were there, it con- 
sisted of eleven Indian boys, from ten to fif- 
teen years of ago, and of nearly an equal num- . 
ber of white children. A few Indian girls 
have occasionally attended the school ; but 
the heads of families, among the Senecas, 
seem to think the education of females 
of little importance. Indeed, it must be con- 



15 



fessed, that there is a prevailing disinclina- 
tion in the tribe to teach the youths even of 
the other sex, the use of books. It is alto- 
gether in consequence of the exertions of 
Cornplanter, that any have been persuaded to 
send their children to the school, though gra- 
tuitous and many little rewards are bestowed, 
from time to time, for the encouragement of 
every pupil. Some, however, begin to feel 
deeply interested in this establishment, and, 
to induce their boys to attend it, g'rve them a 
severe task in some kind of work, which they 
must perform as the only alternative, if they 
refuse to repair to the place of instruction. 
This regimen has had a good effect. The 
boys are become attached to their teacher, a 
worthy man, and to the business of learning. 
They now spell words of four and five sylla- 
bles remarkably well, and some of them can 
read easy lessons without spelling. 

The government of the school would be 
extremely irksome, but for the aid of the no- 
ble spirited chief and of the parents of the 
scholars. On the whole, this institution is in 
as flourishing a condition, considering all cir- 
cumstances, as one could reasonably expect. 
It hes much upon the mind of Cornplanter, 



16 

who says, that he often prayed to the Great 
Spirit in reference to such a seminary for the 
benefit of his benighted people, long before 
it had an existence, and, that he still prays for 
its prosperity. 

If some suitable woman were employed to 
teach the female part of the community to 
sew, knit, and spin, it would be attended 
with excellent effects ; and from what could 
be gained on the subject, it is conceived, that 
there would be a willingness in the minds of 
a competent number to receive instructions 
from such a preceptress. 

The success attendant on this attempt has 
led the Western Missionary Society to con- 
template fixing another Indian school at Cold 
Spring, fourteen miles farther up the Alle- 
ghany river, where there is a dense popula- 
tion. For introducing the blessings of 
Christianity among the heathen nations in 
this or in any other country, no better human 
expedient can be adopted, ultimately to lead 
to this all-important object, than the founding 
of schools, which ought to be conducted by 
persons, not only, of adequate talents and ac- 
quirements, but of the most exemplary piety. 
Our missionary brethren, in Asia, appear to 



17 



have just ideas, which they have well ex- 
pressed, on the importance of these, in the 
wide field of their arduous lahours ; and 
every christian has reason to rejoice, thatthsir 
representation has so wonderfully excited the 
sympathy, the zeal, the generosity, of the 
pious, and the opulent, in New-England, for 
the appropriate spiritual benefit of thousands 
of the rising generation in idolatrous and pe- 
rishing India. How long shall the thousands 
and the ten thousands of such, in this western 
continent, be neglected ? While the poor 
pagans of Asia, young and old, are benevo- 
lently remembered, as they ought to be, those 
of America, certainly, have paramount claims, 
and they ought not to be, so greatly, as they 
have been, and still are, forgotten. 

The countenance, and patronage, and ar- 
dour, of Cornplanter, in reference to the 
good education of his young subjects, are 
worthy of the grateful acknowledgment of 
all, who feel interested in the surprising 
operations of the present day to effect the 
merciful purposes of the Most High. He is 
desirous, not only, that the youths of his tribe 
should be instructed in useful learning, but 
that all, of whatever age, should have the 



18 

light of the gospel. It was his particular rcr 
quest that a minister should be sent to hia 
settlements to teach the christian religion. 
In accordance with his views, the society has 
since directed its missionaries into his terri- 
tory. 

How exceedingly it is to be regretted, that 
no herald of the cross is to be found, who can 
address the Senecas in their native tongue ! 
It is not to be expected that one half of the 
effect should be produced by the medium of 
any interpreter, however competent. Why 
cannot some one, of the right faith, know- 
ledge, and zeal, be procured, to devote his 
life to the spiritual interests of this people ? 
They are located in different sections of our 
country, surrounded with the light of Gosh- 
en ; yet they dwell in Egyptian iarkness. 
If a pious, skilful, and fliithful, preacher, with 
the spirit of an Eliot., or a Mayhew, were to 
reside among the Senecas, to teach their 
children, to learn their language, and to 
preach in it the doctrines of grace pure and 
undeliled, who can calculate the amount of 
blessings, which would ensue ? How many 
precious immortal souls v/ould be brought 
from the gloom and the delusion of heathen- 
ism into the glorious light and the heart- 



19 



cheering truths of the religion of Jesus ! if 
however, no one, in this happy day of niission- 
ary effort, is to be obtained from any of our 
schools of the prophets, destined in provi- 
dence for fulfilling the laudable wishes of 
Kiendtwohke, let us indulge the hope, that 
some of the promising pupils of the school 
in his village are to become the future able 
and successful preachers of the gospel to his 
nation. 

Last year, at a council of his tribe, held at 
Cold Spring, Cornplanter made an eloquent 
speech, two hours in length, in which he gave 
a full and lucid history of his life. He stated 
that his father was a white man* from Ire- 
land and that his mother was a Seneca ; that 
he had always been warmly attached to the 
tribe, with which his life had been spent ; that 
he had been zealous in their way of worship, 
but that now he was convinced that it was 
wrong ; and that he was determined to devote 
himself to the way, in which the ministers 
walk, meaning the Ciiristian religion. " I 
know,'^ said he, " that ive are wrong. I 
know that they cfge right, I see it — I feel it — 
I enjoy it. ^^ 

* John Obeal, a Roman Catholic priest. 



20 



In this happy manner did he, with his im- 
perfect knowledge, plead the cause of the 
Redeemer. In one part of his animated ad- 
dress, when speaking of his former views and 
habits, his language seemed to be like that 
of Paul giving a representation of In.- former 
pharisaic zeal in opposition to the cl arch of 
Christ. In another part, it was like that of 
Joshua declaring his pious resolution to the 
elders, heads, judges, and officers, of Israel 
assembled at Shechem. 

How much of the gospel plan of salvation 
thts venerable chieftain understands, it is dif- 
ficult to ascertain ; yet, from the speech al- 
ready noticed ; from his subsequent, as well as 
previous occasional remarks, so far as col- 
lected and comprehended ; from his discoun- 
tenancing the annual sacrifices, to which most 
of his tribe still adhere ; from the demolition, 
with his sanction, of a huge wooden idol, a few 
years since, which, if not an object of adoration, 
was long a noted rallying point, about which 
scenes of vice and folly had been often acted ; 
and especially, from his late anxiety and ex- 
ertions for the preached word, is there not 
reason to conclude that the holy Comforter 
has so far enlightened and prepared his mind » 



21 



that he only needs some farther explanation 
of the gospel to embrace it with all his 
heart. 

As I have so frequently mentioned the 
name of Cornplanter, in this communication, 
it will probably be expected that I should offer 
something farther of one, whose name, had he 
lived in the best days of Rome, a denizen of 
that city, which has been styled the mistress 
of the world, would have been emblazoned in 
the historic page. 

He has been the greatest warriour the Sene- 
necas have ever had in modern times, yet, to 
his honour be it recorded, he was never known 
to treat with inhumanity any of the women or 
children of his enemies, who at any time fell 
into his hands. He is a man of a strong mind 
and masterly eloquence. At the treaty of 
Fort Stanwix, he greatly distinguished him- 
self by his talents and addiess in pleading the 
cause of his people ; and, soon after, by gene- 
ral suffrage, he attained the rank of Chief 
Warriour of the Senecas. 

It must, however, be added, as it will show 
something of the aboriginal character, that 
when the Indians ascertained that the fee- 
simple of several tracts of land had been 



22 



vested in him by government, for special ser- 
vices rendered, a perquisite granted to no 
other at the before mentioned treaty, those 
who had exalted him to the pinnacle of fame, 
took umbrage, ousted him from his high office, 
and appointed Wendungguhtah of Katarau- 
gus in his stead. 

It is worthy of record, that no people upon 
earth seem to have a greater contempt for 
any one, who disregards the truth, than these 
unlettered natives of the forest. Whenever 
an Indian is detected in uttering a falsehood, 
no subsequent apology can atone for his guilt, 
and his word is ever after received with sus- 
picion. I offer these remarks in order to 
relate an anecdote of Cornplanter, showing 
his reverence for the truth. 

At a certain trial, in the Venango court, 
relative to an island, which was once the 
property of this chief, the lawyer, to sus- 
tain the cause of his client, insinuated 
something, which seemed to affect his veraci- 
ty. As soon as this was explained to him by 
the interpreter, he turned to the lawyer, with 
a piercing indignant look, and said, with much 
energy of expression, that he " never was 
guilty of lying in his life even in private con-^ 



ttfsationt muck less tvould he be guilty of it 
when under oath. Nay,^' said he, pointing 
his finger in scorn to the lawyer, " / would 
not he guilty of it for all you are worth, or 
ever will 6e." 

He appears to be at the age of about sixty 
eight years, yet from his representation of his 
altitude, at the time of Braddock's defeat, 
which he well remembers, he must have been 
born about the year 1744. His height is five 
feet ten inches. His countenance is strongly 
marked with the lines of intelligence and re- 
flexion. Contrary to the aboriginal custom, 
his chin is covered with a beard three or four 
inches in length ; and upon his head are many 
of the blossoms of the grave. Compared 
with the generality of Indian habitations, his 
house is of princely dimensions and has a piaz- 
za in front. He has in possession a sword pre- 
sented to him by Washington, which he care- 
fully preserves and highly values, on account 
of the giver. Among his treasures are a 
rich belt of wampum and a French flag, both 
of which were trophies obtained by the ances- 
tors of his wife, in battles of former times. 
He is owner of thirteen hundred acres of ex- 
cellent land, six hundred of which encircle 



J4 



(lie ground plot of Jennesadaga. From the 
United States he receives, annually, according 
to the treaty stipulation, two hundred and fifty 
dollars, besides his proportion of nine thou- 
sand dollars, equally divided, one half in 
goods and one half in money, among those of 
each sex and of every age. Of his sons, one 
was educated at the expense of government, 
but has made a bad use of his acquirements ; 
one is an idiot, a rare occurrence in the Se- 
neca tribe ; and one is a reputable character, 
with a decently behaved wife and children. 

It is worthy of special remark, that since 
the establishment of the school, the sabbath 
is not profaned by the inhabitants of this ab- 
original village, as was formerly the case, by 
hunting, amusements, nor any kind of labour. 
Such already is the happy effect of the ex- 
ample set by Mr. Oldham and his family. 

With usual salutations to those of your 
household, I remain, Reverend and dear Sir, 
yours, etc. 



«5 



LETTER II. 

Addressed to the Rev. Ahiel Holmes, D.D. 
Secretary of the Society for propagating 
the Gospel among the Indians and others 
in North America, and pastor of the first 
Church in Cambridge^ Mass. 

Meadville, Penn. 16th September, 1817. 
REV. AISD DEAR SIR, 

Through the good hand of God I have 
accomplished the uiissionary task assigned 
me by tlie Society for propagating the 
Gospel among the Indians and others in 
North America. I set out from home, on the 
first day of August, accompanied, as on a 
former occasion, by my eldest son, and re- 
turned on the eighth of September, having 
travelled four hundred and sixty miles ; vet 
the most distant place in our excursion is not 
more th n one hundred and sixty niiles from 
Meadville. In this period 1 have preached 
thirty-one times, and attended to the varioua 
other duties prescribed in my commission, as 
opportunity admitted. 

As one of the leading objects of your be- 
nevolent institution is to carry the glad tidingg 



26 

of salvation to the poor benighted Indian 
tribes of North America, a somewhat circum- 
stantial account of those we had the satisfac- 
tion to visit, will, no doubt, be expected. 

In Cornplanter's village, extending one 
mile along the banks of the Alleghany, are 
forty-eight persons of difierent ages and both 
sexes. I preached twice on a sabbath, in 
the house of this well known chief, which 
was filled principally with Indians, some of 
whom were from the neighbourhood of Peter 
Kraus, seven miles, and some from Cold 
Spring, fourteen miles, fromJennesadaga. 

Henry Obeal, Cornplanter's eldest son, 
who bore the title, by general consent, with- 
out the formality of a commission, of. Major, 
in the late war, officiated as my interpreter. 
He performed with promptitude and in such 
a manner as to arrest the attention of the ab- 
original part of my audience. He has often 
interpreted in councils, on subjects of secular 
concern, but never before for a clergyman. 
Few, if any of the Senecas, have ever had so 
great advantages as the Major, for an English 
education. In early life, he was at school 
nearly six years in Philadelphia. He is a 
man of good natural talents, and, with hisac- 



27 

qnirements, if his moral character were as 
fair as that of his venerable father, he might 
reasonably calculate on arriving, in due time, 
at the highest honours of his tribe. 

At the close of each of my addresses, Corn- 
planter rose and delivered a speech, in w^hich 
he expressed his gratitude for the notice 
taken of him and his people. In one of them* 
a part was interpreted in this manner ; — 

" I am always happy to see the ministers ^ 
and to have them preach at Jennesadaga. We 
begin to understand something of the gospel. 
We have been in the dark, but me begin to see 
light. I have long been convinced that we are 
wrong and that you are right. I have often 
told my people that we must be wrong and that 
you must be right, because you have the words 
of the Great Spirit written in a book"* ' ; at 
the same time, drawing the forefinger of his 
right hand across his left, repeatedly, to give 
an idea of the disposition of the liaes on the 
pages of the Bible. 

I had informed him, at an interview the 
day before, that I purposed to visit Red 
Jacket and the Indians of his village. In one 
of the addresses, with which he was pleased 
to honour me, he said ; — 



S8 

' • / have often talked to Red Jacket about 
ic or shipping the Great Spirit in your way, 
but he has constantly fold me that he was de- 
termined 7iever to conform to your vmy ; and 
that he meant to hold on in the way, which his 
fathers had taught him, as long as he should 
live. As your object is good, it can do no 
hurt for you to visit him and his people ; but 
I do not think that he will take hold ofiV — 
that is, as the interpreter was understood, 
Red Jacket would not be disposed so to listen 
to the gospel as to embrace it, however civil- 
ly he might treat me. Cornplanter continu- 
ed, '* i/* / could think Red Jacket would take 
hold of it, I would go with you to see himt 
and talk to him about it^ 

What an interesting remark ! This aged 
chief, brought up in paganism, with the little 
knowledge he has at length acquired, is so 
deeply impressed with an idea of the impor- 
tance of the christian religion, that, could he 
have assurances that a brother chief, in times 
past hostile^ was become friendly, to it, he 
would travel as the companion of a mission- 
ary, one of the worst roads in America, a 
hundred miles, merely to talk to him about 
it! Must he not have been blessed with 



29 

some special communications from the Holy 

Spirit ? 

On the following day, he very obligingly 
accompanied us to Cold Spring. In passing 
difficult and dangerous places, he kindly took 
the lead, showing us the safest course, and 
whenever we came to a portion of the way of 
tolerable appearance, with much civility he 
would fall back, and pointing for me to go 
forward, say, in broken English, " good road, 
good road.'''' 

Ws previously examined the school, still 
under the care of the worthy Samuel Old- 
ham. It consists of thirteen Indian boys and 
eight or ten white children. Their instructer, 
at times, feels much discouraged at the slow 
progress of his aboriginal pupils ; yet it was 
evident that they had made considerable im- 
provement in reading since our former visit. 
In penmanship no youth could have made 
more rapid proficiency, than some of the In- 
dian boys. Several specimens of their writ- 
ing were elegant. Cornplanter said that he 
hoped yet to see some of these qualified to 
become teachers in the tribe. 

Mr. Oldham and his pious consort are 
greatly esteemed by all the natives of the vil- 
'c2 



30 

lage, and receive many little tokens of affec- 
tion. Whenever a deer is killed, they are 
sure to be complimented with a part of it. 
Mr. Oldham, in a veiy commendable manner, 
holds a meeting, every sabbath, in which he 
leads in the appropriate religious exercises of 
the day. Some of the white inhabitants, re- 
siding on the Kinju Flats, two miles below 
Jennesadaga, are constant attendants. The 
example of the teacher and his family has 
had a perceptibly favourable effect on the 
morals of the place. On the Lord's day, a 
solemn stillness prevails, and the poor untu- 
tored Indians steadily resort to the house of 
prayer. 

The school at Cold Spring consists of 
seventeen Indian boys, who are diligently in- 
structed by Joseph Elkinton, at the expense 
of the So -iety of Friends, in Philadelphia, 
who have long bestowed their benevolent at- 
tentions on those portions of the Seneca tribe, 
located on the Alleghany and Katataugus re- 
servations. We heard the pupils spell in con- 
cert and repeat the pri u i;)al urit i i etical ta- 
bles, in the same manner, with a correctness, 
which bespoke the fidelity of their teacher, 
as did the excellence of their chirography 



31 



and the neatness and accuracy of several 
maps of their execution. Having a conside- 
rable distance to travel, we could not devote 
so much time to ascertain the present state of 
that school, as otherwise would have been 
very gratifying to us. 

I preached in Big Valley, near the upper 
end of the Alleghany reservation. Heie I 
providentially met with Daniel M'Kay, whom 
I had formerly known, and who, from a long 
residence among the Senecas, as a trader, was 
well acquainted with their language. Auneh- 
yesh, a respectable chief, usually called Long 
John, and fourteen or fifteen other Indians 
attended the meeting. Mr. M'Kay acted 
the part of an interpreter. At the close of 
my address, the chief made a speech, in 
which he thanked me for coming to speak 
about the Great Spirit to his countrymen, and 
wished me to express his grateful acknowledg- 
ments to the good people, who thought so 
much of the poor Indians as to send them a 
preacher of the gospel. I had, among other 
things, urged the necessity of instructing their 
children, and had intimated a desire to know 
whether it would be agreeable to his people 
to have a school established at Squishana- 



32 

dohtoli, the place of his residence. He was 
understood to accede to the importance of 
such institutions, but said he could make no 
reply till a council had decided. I suggested, 
that, in case the chiefs should communicate 
a wish for a school in that part of the reserva- 
tion, which is remote from the one under the 
kind direction of the Friends, at Cold Spring, 
there was no doubt but that such a wish 
would be gratified. 

Shaping our course, northerly, through Big 
Valley, we came to the shore of Lake Erie, 
fourteen nulcs above Buffalo. On tuesday 
evening, the twentieth of August, we arrived 
at the mission house occupied by Jabez 
Backus Hyde, who has had the care of the 
Indian school, for five years, in the Seneca 
village on Buffalo creek, four miles from its 
entrance into the lake. 

From all the intelligence I had been able to 
collect, I had very little expectation of preach- 
ing to this part of the tribe, from the circum- 
stance that my predecessors, the Reverend 
Messrs. Cram and Alexander, some years 
ago, after a formal introduction to the chiefs 
in council, could have no permission to ad- 
dress the Indians on the subject of the chris- 



33 

tian religion. My reception, however, wa» 
far more favourable than I iiad anticipated. 

On Wednesday, in company with Mr. 
Hyde, we called on some of the natives, and 
particularly on Young King and Pollard, two 
influential chiefs. The business of my mis- 
sion was made known to them, and they were 
pleased to express their approbation of the 
object* Pollard said he was glad I had in- 
formed the chiefs of my wishes, that they 
might have opportunity to communicate them 
to their people. King and Pollard promised 
to give notice of the meeting, which they 
preferred to have on the sabbath, and Jacob 
Jamieson engaged to interpret on the occa- 
sion. He had lately returned from Dartmouth 
college, where, for about two years, he had 
been a student, and is considered as one of 
the best interpreters to be found among the 
Senecas. 

On thursday we rode to Lewistown, and 
returned on Saturday. On our way, we had 
the satisfaction of viewing that wonderful 
specimen of the true sublime of nature, the 
Niagara Falls ; or, in the language of the 
Senecas, the N'yeuchgau Koskongshade. 
We crossed the river, viewed the heights of 



34 

Queenston, and, in the evening, I preached to 
a respectable assembl}' of his Britannic Ma- 
jesty's subjects. We also visited the Rev. 
Mr. Crane, recently established, as the per- 
manent missionary of the Indians, at theTus- 
carora village. We found him at the new 
and commodious council house, happy in the 
prospect of doing good to the souls of his 
precious charge. 

At the time appointed, we met at the 
school-house, in Seneca, as the village on 
Buffalo Creek is sometimes called, which was 
crowded with the tawny inhabitants, while a 
considerable number stood without, at the 
doors and windows. Ten chiefs were pre- 
sent, of whom one was the celebrated So- 
gweewautau, who is extensively known by 
the name of Red Jacket. Of the shrewd 
remarks, which this famous orator has fre- 
quently made to missionaries in reference to 
the ministers of the gospel, you have proba- 
bly been apprized. As I did not call on him, 
on the previous Wednesday, it occurred that 
he might have thought himself neglected. It 
was grateful to learn that when Pollard in- 
formed him of my arrival, and of my wish 
to preach to the Indians, he expressed his 



35 

unqualified approbation of the steps taken 
for my accommodation, and offered nothing in 
the way of objection, as he had formerly 
done to those, who had preceded me. 

Mr. Hyde was delighted to behold such an 
assemblage, and especially so many chiefs 
giving a respectful attention to the word dis- 
pensed. 

In my address, I spoke of the past and 
present state of the Indians, lamenting the 
bad example too often set them, and the in- 
justice, not unfrequently, done them, by the 
unprincipled among their white brethren. I 
expatiated on the excellence and infinite im- 
portance of the gospel, representing the com- 
fort, which many Indians had enjoyed, on a 
death-bed, in trusting their souls to the Lord 
Jesus Christ. I descanted on the uncertainty 
of life, a judgment to come, and an eternity 
to follow ; the awful state of all men, by na- 
ture, and the only method -of escape from the 
wrath, which awaits the impenitent and un- 
believing ; exhibiting Jesus Christ as the Son 
of God, and the only Saviour of the world. 
I also spoke of the unprecedented exertions 
of the present day for sending the truths of 
revelation to the unenlightened parts of the 



36 

earth, and of the prophetic declarations of 
scripture relative to a happy period, which is 
fast approaching ; when the poor Indians and 
millions of the human race, as ignorant as 
they, would be brought to witness and to re- 
joice in the glorious light of the gospel ; when 
every wicked practice would come to an end ; 
and when all the tribes of men, of every 
clime and of every complexion, would form 
one vast band of brethren. 

I mentioned that the good people of Bos- 
ton, and its vicinity, residing in a distant part 
of this island, adopting their mode of speak- 
ing, had sent me to preach to them ; that 
they had no sinister motives for so doing ; that 
they did not wish for their land, nor any thing 
else they possessed ; but, feeling the com- 
forts of religion in their own hearts, that they 
longed to see the Indians and all their fellow- 
creatures blessed with the soul-cheering 
hopes of the gospel ; and that they consider- 
ed it a duty, according to the religion they 
profess, to help those, who are unable to help 
themselves, as far as in their power, to a 
knowledge of infinite moment to every hu- 
man being ; adding, that I should gladly 
hear any remarks, which they might see fit tcr 
make upon any thing I had spoken. 



37 



After a short consultation, Pollard rose, 
and, in a very graceful and eloquent manner, 
delivered an address in the name of the 
chiefs present. I regret that I cannot pre- 
sent it to you, in full ; for never did I behold 
greater solemnity, than his countenance ex- 
hibited, especially, -svhen pronouncing the 
name of the Great Spirit. The speech was 
represented to be in a lofty kind of expres- 
sion, which Jamieson said he could not un- 
dertake to interpret, but that he would give 
a sketch of the less sublime parts of it, 
which he did, nearly as could be recollected, 
in these words ; — 

<' Brother^ tJie chiefs have agreed that I 
should speak to you in their name. We are 
happy to see you among us. We are happy 
to Jiear about the Great Spirit. We are hap- 
py to hear the gospel. We have understood 
almost every thing you have told us. We 
like it very much. We thank you for com- 
ing to talk to us: We thank the good peo- 
plCy who have thought of us, and who have 
sent you to us. We shall be glad to have 
ministers come to see us again.^^ 



38 



This is, no doubt, a very meagre, as well 
as a greatly abridged, version of a speech, 
in the pronouncing of which the chief was 
not less than twenty minutes, displaying the 
talents of an orator absorbed in the magni- 
tude of his subject. 

I made a short reply intimatin gmy hope 
that, in due time, they would be blessed with 
the full-orbed influence of the Sun of Right- 
eousness ; that they would understand the 
truths of the gospel and embrace them to 
their greatest comfort in life and in death ; 
and that, should we never meet together 
again in a worshipping assembly upon earth, 
we might meet with joy at the tribunal of 
heaven, and spend an eternity in praising and 
blessing and adoring the great God and Re- 
deemer. After shaking hands, according to 
invariable custom, on all such occasions, 
we parted, I trust, mutually gratified and 
pleased. 

The Indians are much attached to Mr. 
Hyde and his family, who have been of no 
small advantage to them by precept and ex- 
ample. The school, consisting of about 
thirty boys, is in as prosperous a state aa 



39 



could be reasonably expected ; yet the in- 
defatigable instructer is greatly disheartened, 
like Mr. Oldham, at the tardy progress of his 
pupils. 

Mr. Hyde has written a series of discourses 
unfolding, in plain and inteUigible language, 
suited to the capacity of the natives, the 
leading historical and doctrinal parts of the 
bible, a number of which he has delivered, 
with the assistance of an interpreter, to the 
Indians, and much to their edification. It is 
desirable that he should persevere in this la- 
bour of love. 

The more I have attended to the situa- 
tion of the aboriginal inhabitants of our ex- 
tensive republic, the more have I been con- 
vinced, that, to teach Ihem, with good effect, 
the truths of the gospel, ministers must be 
stationed among them, and, as soon as quali- 
fied, preach to them in their vernacular 
tongue. It is frequently difficult to procure 
an interpreter of adequate abilities, and still 
more so to address the Indians, their minds 
darkened with ignorance and prejudice, in 
such a manner, that justice may be done to 
every subject, and a faithful interpretation be 
given. The fact is, the languages of our red 



40 

brethren, are barren of terms for conveying, 
understandingly, many of the momentous 
truths of the Christian religion. Still, if a 
minister were fully acquainted with their lan- 
guage, and with their peculiar mode of illus- 
trating subjects, he would be able to commu- 
nicate his meaning, intelligibly, notwithstand- 
ing the paucity of appropriate words to be 
found in any of their dialects. 

Daniel S. Butrick, who has the religious 
welfare of our aborigines much at heart, 
who has spent several years among the Sene- 
cas, and acquired their tongue, to a consider- 
able extent, and who would willin-gly devote 
his life to their spiritual interests, on the day 
of our arrival at Seneca, set out for Boston, 
in order to be ordained and to take his depar- 
ture thence, as a missionary to the Chero- 
kees, or some other southern tribe. On be- 
coming acquainted with the excellence of 
his character, his attainments, and zeal in the 
cause of the heathen, I wrote the Rev. Dr. 
Worcester, Cor. Sec. A. B. C. F. M. stating 
that, if Mr. Butrick could be secured as a 
missionary to the Senecas, there was ground 
to conclude, he would become to them a Da- 
vid Brainerd ; and urged, with respectful im- 



41 



portunity, that he should be sent back to a 
people, whose language he already under- 
stood, and to whom he was both attached 
and endeared ; and, that some other, of the 
desired talents and zeal, should be commis- 
sioned in his stead, for the contemplated 
southern department. 

We next repaired to Kataraugus ; but, un- 
fortunately, the chiefs and many others were 
absent, some on a hunting expedition, and 
some at Buffalo, to attend the trial of a young 
Indian, suspected of an attempt to murder a 
white man. 

We saw Hank Johnson, the interpreter, 
who expressed his sorrow, that I could not, 
under existing circumstances, preach to the 
people of that reservation, adding, that he 
was sure it would have been very agreeable 
to them to hear the gospel, if they had been 
at home. Mr. Taylor, of the denomination 
of Friends, in their vicinity, manifested a 
laudable spirit of Catholicism in declaring his 
regret at my disappointment. 

At Kataraugus, with the exception of 
about seventy Munsees, in one little neigh- 
bourhood, the inhabitants are nearly all of 
D 2 



42 

the Seneca tribe. At the Buffalo creek re- 
servation, there are about seven hundred Se- 
necas, sixteen Munsees, some Onondagas, 
some Cayugas, and some Squaukees. In the 
different reservations the Senecas amount to 
more than two thousand. Their language 
is radically different from that of the Mun- 
sees, vv^ho derive their name from the place, 
on the Susquehanna, whence they came, and 
are a branch of the DelaAvare tribe. 

Your respectful brother in the gospel, etc. 



43 



LETTER III. 

Addressed to the Rev. Abiel Holmes, 
D.D., etc. 

Meadville, 28th August, 1818- 
BEV. AND DEAR SIR, 

I NOW have the happiness to acknow- 
ledge the merciful hand of God in carry- 
ing me, with safety, through the toils, the 
dangers, and the pleasures, of another mis- 
sionary tour among the Senecas, Munsees, 
and numerous settlements of white people in 
the circuitous route, in fulfilment of the 
obligations of my second commission from 
the Society for Propagating the Gospel 
among the Indians and others in North 
America. 

I left Meadville, on friday, the third day of 
July, and returned to my family on the tenth 
of the present month, having travelled four 
hundred and eighty-four miles, preached 
thirty-three times, and attended to the various 
other duties, prescribed, whenever oppartuni- 
tv offered. 



44 

As the principal object of your benevolent 
institution is to send the light of the gospel 
to our tawny brethren of the American wil- 
derness, still groping in the darkness and de- 
lusion of heathenism, your goodness will ex- 
cuse the minuteness of the subsequent narra- 
tive. 

On friday, the tenth of July, I arrived at 
the cabin of Hank Johnson, an interpreter of 
the Seneca and Munsee languages, ninety- 
four miles from Meadville, in the Kataraugus 
Indian reservation, and made known to him 
the object of my mission. He immediately 
sent for Wendungguhtah, the chief warriour 
of the Senecas, who soon honoured us with 
his company. After due i.^troduction, I in- 
formed him of my errand from a society of 
good men, established near the big water, on 
the side of this island towards the rising sun. 
He expressed his gratitude at the notice taken 
of him and his people, and v/as glad that an 
opportunity would be given them to hear the 
gospel. I had contemplated addressing the 
Senecas and Munsees of this place on the 
following sabbath. The chief warriour wished 
to know if it would not be convenient to 
have the meeting early next morning, aa their 



45 

hunters were about to leave the village and 
to be absent for several weeks, adding, if 
agreeable to me to speak to them, then, that 
they would defer their departure till after the 
religious exercises. I told him that it would 
be perfectly agreeable to me to meet with 
them at the time proposed. He then said, 
that all the inhabitants of the reservation 
should be invited that evening. He said fur- 
ther, that he could not compel their atten- 
dance, but that he did not doubt many would 
attend. 

Very early, the next morning, I had some 
conversation, by the aid of Johnson, with the 
chief wan ioar of the Munsees in presence of 
a number of his people, concerning the things 
of religion. I h'^d represented that there is 
but one God, the creator of al>^- that, how- 
ever diversified the colour of the different 
tribes of men, all were descended from one 
pair ; that all are by nature in an awful state 
of depravity ; that all are under obligations 
to repent of their sins, to love God, and to 
love one another, Hke brethren ; and that we 
must be made to attain this happy disposi- 
tion, or we can never expect to be admitted 
into tho society of the pure and blessed afte? 



46 

death. The Munsee chief asked if negroes, 
white men, and Indians, go to the same place, 
after death, if they love God and their fellow 
creatures. In reply, I gave him to under- 
stand, that God is no respecter of persons, 
and that all, of every nation, who love him 
with supreme affection, and love one another, 
as he has commanded, will, after this life, be 
received into the same glorious mansions, be- 
yond the stars, become the companions of an- 
gels, and enjoy such a degree of happiness, 
as no mortal can describe nor conceive. 

Soon after this interview, I repaired to the 
neat and commodious house of Wendung- 
guhtah, but it was eleven o'clock before my 
assembly was fully convened. In the mean- 
time, he brought, for my inspection, a file of 
papers, which consisted, principally, of letters 
of different dates, directed to the Indians of 
this reservation, from the Society of Friends 
in Philadelphia, containing exhortations to 
attend to agricultural and mechanical employ- 
ments, and a statement of the implements of 
husbandry gratuitously forwarded or offered 
for their use, intermixed with good moral in- 
structions. 



47 

At length the congregation was collected, 
and consisted of thirty or forty Senecas and a 
few white people. The chief warriour of the 
Munsees and tw.o or three more of that tribe, 
only, were present. Several other chiefs be- 
sides Wendungguhtah were of the number. 
Johnson interpreted in Seneca with prompti- 
tude and, I doubt not, with correctness. All 
were very attentive, and yeuch, the common 
exclamation of approbation, W8is repeatedly 
heard. I took no particular text as a guide 
on this occasion, but spoke of many things, 
which I deemed proper, as they were present- 
ed to my mind, stopping, at the end of every 
two or three sentences, to give the interpre- 
ter opportunity to do his part understanding- 
ly. A skeleton of my address, so far as re- 
collected, may not be unacceptable. 

I represented that I was happy to speak to 
my red brethren of the things, which belong 
to our everlasting peace ; that all men are of 
one blood, however different the shades of 
their complexion ; that there is one God and 
Saviour, to whom all must look, or they can- 
not be happy in the world to come ; that the 
great end of this short and uncertain life is 
to prepare for death ; that the soul is immor- 



48 

lal ; that the body will be raised from the 
dust ; that the soul and the body will be re- 
united at the resurrection of the dead, and 
exist for ever, in a state of infinite happiness 
or misery, according to the deeds done in the 
body. I spoke of our perishing condition by 
nature, of the glorious attributes of God, and 
'particularly of his compassion to every re- 
penting and returning sinner. As an evi- 
dence of his compassion, it was urged that he 
had given us the Bible ; that the precious truths 
it contains came from heaven ; that we have 
various reasons for asserting that they came 
from that happy place, all of which I hoped 
that they would one day understand ; that, on 
the present occasion, I should insist on one 
only, whic-h they might easily comprehend, 
that of prophecies, recorded in that holy 
book, which we know to have been accom- 
plished long after their utterance. I spoke of 
the predictions relative to a happy period, 
fast approaching, and so near at hand that 
some of their children, or their children's 
children, would probably live to witness some- 
thing of it, when their white brethren would 
cease from injustice and all iniquity ; when 
the poor Indians and all the heathen tribes of 



49 



\he earth would understand the word of God 
and would receive it with gladness ; when all 
men would forsake their wicked ways, love 
the truth, love God, and love one another. 
In the close of my address, I exhorted them 
to repentance, to faith in the declarations of 
the Great Spirit, as handed to us in the Bible, 
and to frequent and earnest prayer, that their 
minds might be enlightened to understand, 
and their hearts influenced to love, the good 
and strait path, which leads to heaven. 

The chiefs present having, for a few mo- 
ments, consulted together, Wendungguhtah 
arose, and, with a mild and pleasant voice, 
addressed me in the following manner, as re- 
presented by the interpreter ; 

Brother, we thank you for coming to see us. 
We thanJc the Great Sjnrit, that he has given 
you health and strength to come and talk to us 
about the ivords of God. We will thank the 
Great Spirit to preserve your health and to 
prosper you in going to the other villages of 
your red brethren. 

Brother, we have been told nearly the same 
things, which you have now told us, by men 
of different societies. We have considered 
them much. We fully understand every thing 



60 

i/ou have told us. We shall take it into 
deeper consideration ^ than we Jiave ever done 
before. 

Brother, there are good and had among us. 
Some are a long time in taking hold of the 
gospel. We hope all will one day take hold 
of it. 

Brother, we understand that you are going 
to Tonnewanta, Many chiefs are now as- 
sembled there in council; some of ours, some 
from Buffalo, some from Alleghany, some 
from Gennesee, some from Cayuga, some from 
Oneida ; and they are all met together upon 
the same business you are on. It will he a 
good time for you to go to Tonneivanta. We 
pray the Great Spirit to give you strength to 
talk to your red brethren at Tonnevmnta. 
You could not haiye come and talked to us, if 
the Great Spirit had not given you strength. 

Johnson said that he could recollect the 
whole of my address, and, at some conve- 
nient time v/hen the Munsees should be to- 
gether, that he would repeat it to them in 
their own tongue. After shaking hands with 
all the Indians, I took iny leave and proceed- 
ed to other places on the business of my 
mission. 



51 

On the fourteenth of July, I arrived at Mr. 
Hyde's habitation, in the first village of the 
Buffalo Indians, and repaired to the cabin of 
Captain Billy, one of the aged chiefs, and 
stated to him my wish to preach to his people. 
In reply he said, 

/ thank the Great Spirit for giving you 
health and strength to come and see your red 
brethren once more. 

We agreed upon the following sabbath for 
addressing the Indians of this place, and 
Captain Billy promised to see them informed 
of the meeting. I told him that, in themean- 
time, I purposed going to Tonnewanta to 
visit the numerous assemblage of chiefs and 
others now met in council. He then said, 

/ pray the Great Spirit to give you health 
and strength to visit Tonnewanta and to re- 
turn to us in safety. 

I reached the council house in Tonnewanta, 
thursday noon, the sixteenth of July, and 
communicated to the chiefs the object of my 
visit. They thanked me for the notice taken 
of them, and said, that they would inform me, 
next morning, when it would be in their 
power to give me a hearing. At the time 
appointed, they stated, that they were glad to 



62 

see me there, and that they should be glad 
to have me preach to them as soon as they 
could get through the business of the coun- 
cil; but, as this was very abundant, they 
could not name the day, when they should be 
ready to attend to me. I was obliged to be 
with the Buffalo Indians, on the following 
sabbath, by an appointment, for the not ful- 
filling of which no trifling excuse would 
atone. 

I exceedingly regret, that I could not have 
been permitted to tender the gospel to such 
a multitude of chiefs and others assembled 
from most of the villages of the six nations. 
If we could have fixed on any day for an audi- 
ence, I would cheerfully have fulfilled my en- 
gagement at Seneca and returned, thirty-four 
miles, to Tonnewanta ; but the limits of my 
time, the uncertainty as to the period of clos- 
ing the council, and the wide field I had to 
traverse, precluded me the privilege and the 
honour. Several of the Indians expressed 
their desire to Mr. Harvey, one of the inter- 
preters present, that the chiefs should post- 
pone the concerns of the council, so as to 
give me opportunity to address them on the 
subject of religion j but it would have beea 



63 



an inexcusable breach of decorum on my 
part to have attempted any thing of the kind 
without the sanction of the chiefs. 

It is the custom at all such councils to at- 
tend to all Indian business first, and then to 
any they may have with the white people. 
The chiefs are wont to repeat all the speeches 
made, and to give an accurate account of all 
the transactions in council, on their return to 
their respective places of abode. They have 
no method of recording any thing, except in 
the tablet of their memory. If therefore the 
regular routine were to be interrupted, it 
would be more difficult for them to retain the 
multitudinous matters, which, it is expected., 
will not be obliterated from their minds, until 
fully reported. 

I spent two days at Tonnewanta and was 
highly gratified in having, for the first time, 
an opportunity to witness the mode of con- 
ducting an aboriginal council. Aware, pro- 
bably, that their white brethren have little 
fondness for food of their cooking, and es- 
pecially for their soups, one of the chiefs 
ordered, for my use, beefsteaks, for each meal, 
which were decently prepared by one of the 
interpreters. A cow, ox, steer? or heifer, 
E 2 



64 

was killed every day, upon which the whole 
village and strangers present feasted. I was 
also furnished with a blanket and the floor of 
a cabin for lodging. Provision was made 
for keeping my horse, and I gratefully add my 
attestations to Indian hospitality. 

The council house is fifty feet long and 
twenty wide. On each side of it, longitudi- 
nally, is a platform, a little more than one 
foot high and four feet wide, covered with 
furs, which furnishes a convenient place for 
sitting, lounging, and sleeping. A rail across 
the centre separates the males from the fe- 
males, wlio are constant attendants and listen, 
with silence, diligence, and interest, to what- 
ever is delivered in council. Over the plat- 
form is a kind of gallery, five or six feet from 
the floor, which is loaded with peltry, corn, 
implements of hunting, and a variety of other 
articles. At each end of the building is a 
door, and near each door, within, was the 
council fire, which would have been comfort- 
able for the coldest weather in winter, but, at 
this time, when the mercury in Farenheit's 
thermometer must have ranged from eighty to 
ninety degrees, was very oppressive. Over 
each fire several large kettles of soup were 



55 

hanging and boiling. The smoke was con- 
veyed away through apertures in the roof and 
did not annoy. The chiefs and others, as 
many as could be accommodated, in their ap- 
propriate grotesque habiliments, were seated 
on the platform, smoking calumets, of vari- 
ous forms, sizes, and materials, several of 
which were tendered to me in token of friend- 
ship. Profound silence pervaded the crowd- 
ed assembly, while every one seemed to hang 
upon the lips of the orators, who successive- 
ly rose, and, unwittingly, displayed the charms 
of native eloquence. 

During the recess of the council, the 
young men had several kinds of amusement, 
one of which was running. Two companies, 
amounting to nearly twenty, one of which 
was from Buffalo, and the other from Ton- 
newanta, ran for a certain premium, which 
consisted mostly of pieces of tobacco con- 
tributed for the occasion. The goals were 
one mile apart. The victorious party passed 
them four times, making eight miles in forty- 
five minutes. To allay their heat they imme- 
diately plunged into the creek. 

In the evening there was a peace dance, as 
it is termed, in the councii-nouse. Fifty, or 



56 



more, each sex by itself, arranged in an ellip- 
tical form, performed their slow but violent 
and singular movements around the council 
fires, bowing respectfully towards the big 
soup kettles, as they passed them, then, look- 
ing upwards, thanked the Great Spirit for 
giving them food to eat. The Indian dance, 
it seems, is accompanied with a religious ex- 
pression of gratitude to the Giver of all good. 
Where do v.e hear of any thing of this kind 
at the balls of the civilized in christian coun- 
tries ? With all the violence of their move- 
ments, their step did not carry them forward, 
faster, than the Jews cross the synagogue, in 
the ceremony of taking the pentateuch from 
the ark to the desk. Had the venerable 
Boudinot, author of the Star in the West, 
been present, he would probably have felt 
some confirmation of his ideas, as to the Is- 
raelitish extraction of the Indians, especially, 
on seeing the leader with a little implement in 
his hand, like the riamunm* of the syna- 
gogue, singing with a loud and clear voice, 
yo-he-icauh, yo-he-tvanh. The same word was 
responded in an eighth lower, at every 
repetition, by all the other Indians, in 
exact time, as they performed their circumgi- 



57 

rations. None of them have any knowledge 
of the import of this word, which is proba- 
bly the Hebrew incommunicable sacred te- 
tragrammaton, with some aboriginal license in 
its pronunciation. 

Among the introductory subjects of attention, 
there was one, which is deemed worthy of no- 
tice. Whether it was a new article in the coun- 
cils of the confederate six nations, or in conso- 
nance with established custom, I did not ascer- 
tain. All present, having done any thing worthy 
of censure, were required to come forward and 
acknowledge their faults. For a considera- 
ble time no one seemed to have any faults to 
confess. At length, a little girl, ten or 
twelve years old, came and stood before the 
chiefs, and with artless simplicity, told them, 
that she had done something wrong. " What 
is it?" said one of them. She then stated, 
that she was in the trader's store, one day, 
and saw a paper of two rows of pins, on the 
counter, and that she took it home. She 
said, that she never did any thing bad before, 
and was sorry that she stole the pins. The 
chiefs decided that she should pay four cents 
to the trader, who, as he informed me, had no 
knowledge of the petty theft till the little 



58 



girl brought him the money, and frankly told 
him for what it was. 

I now ascertained what Wendungguhtah 
meant, when he said, " that many chiefs were 
met in council, upon the same business I was 
on." The great object of this council was, to 
revive the moral instructions formerly receiv- 
ed from Goskukkewaunau Konnedieyu, the 
prophet, as he was called, Kiendtwohke's 
half-brother, who died about the year lJ:i5. 
The Indians seem now to think mucK {f 
those instructions, and are desirous of having 
them recalled to mind, and re-delivered for 
the benefit of the rising generation. Many 
speeches were made, in which, the lessons 
inculcated by the prophet, were recounted, 
and their importance urged by various, per- 
suasive, energetic, appeals, 

John Sky, a Tonnewanta chief, delivered a 
speech, which I judged nearly three hours in 
length. He began with his arms folded across 
his breast, and with such feeble articulation 
as scarcely to be understood. In a little 
while, he appeared to gain strength, and his 
arms fell to his sides. Soon, he displayed the 
orator, speaking with such a clear, loud, and 
strong voice, that every word might have been 



59 



distinctly heard at the distance of a quarter 
of a mile, had he spoken in the open air. He 
was labouring under a deeply seated pulmo- 
nary complaint.* How painful the reflec- 
tion, that he had none to conduct him to the 
blood of the cross ! Monsieur Poudre, grand- 
son of one of Montcalm's generals, who had 
been taken in infancy and brought up by the 
Indians, was sitting by me. He was sensibly 
touched with the charms of this Demosthe- 
nian eloquence, or with the nature and weight 
of the matter under consideration, and, invo- 
luntarily, gave frequent shrugs and exclama- 
mations, showing that he felt what was offer- 
ed ; a considerable part of which he inter- 
preted for my satisfaction. From this it ap- 
pears, that this chief recapitulated the moral 
truths dehvered by the prophet, and, while 
enforcing them upon the council, added much 
on the obligation of parents to set a good ex- 
ample before their children. At length, ha- 
ving exhausted his subject in portraying the 
evils of drunkenness, lying, cheating, stealing, 
and other pernicious practices, he closed his 
speech in language, which was interpreted in 
these words ; 
• lo six months after this noted speech he was in bis grave. 



60 

You must not do any thing bad ; you must 
not say any thing bad ; you must not think 
any thing bad ; for the Great Spirit knows 
your thoughts, as well as your icords and ac- 
tions. This is u'hat the prophet taught us. 
You know it — and this is according to the 
word of God ! 

In fine, he gave, as is believed, an excel- 
lent moral sermon. Its length, however, was 
greater than would be acceptable in most 
christian assemblies ; yet not a few of his 
auditors seemed to hang, from the beginning 
to the end, with fond attention, on the mouth 
of the speaker. It must, nevertheless, be 
added, that some showed as great a listless- 
ness, as we occasionally notice in some chris- 
tian congregations, and a few threw them- 
selves back upon the platform and fell asleep, 
while the orator was thundering, in peals of 
eloquence, on the destructive effects of vice. 

Kiattaeo, a Buffalo chief, made a short 
speech in council, as he afterwards informed 
me, representing the advantages of always 
fulfilling one*s engagements ; adding, that, 
eighteen years ago, he made a resolution 
never to break a promise if he could possibly 
avoid it ; that he had ever been conscientious 



61 

in discharging the duties of that resolution, 
and that he had found great comfort in so 
doing. He concluded his address by earnest- 
ly recommending it to his brethren to follow 
his example. 

At one time the attention of the tawny 
multitude was much arrested by the relation 
of a dream. Kasiadestah, a tall Indian, stood 
stooping forward, his eyes fixed on the ground, 
his countenance grave and solemn, as if 
something lay heavily on his mind, and made 
the following statement ; 

Ihave had a dream, which, in my sleep, 1 
was directed to relate in council. I dreamed 
that the sun in the firmament spoke to me. He 
told me to go the Indians, and to tell them 
that the Great Spirit is very angry imth them 
for their wicked ways. Tell them, they must 
repent of their wicked ways and forsake them, 
or the judgments of the Great Spirit toill come 
upon them. If they do not repent and for sake 
their wicked ways, when the corn is in the cob, 
this year, there ivill he a storm, which will 
lay their corn fiat on the ground and destroy 
it. If they do not then, repent and forsake 
their wicked ways, next winter-, there will be 
such a rain as they never saw before. The 

F 



62 



jlood will he so great as to bury their houses 
in the water. 

Kasiadestah came to these unenlightened 
Indians, like Jonah to the Ninevites, calling 
them to repentance. He did not, however, 
assume the character of a prophet. He simp- 
ly related his singular dream ; yet he appear- 
ed to feel as if it should be regarded like 
a communication from the Great Spirit, 

On the sabbath, the nineteenth of July, I 
met the Indians at Seneca, agreeably to ap- 
pointment. Billy, Pollard, Young King, 
Twenty Canoes, and other chiefs were pre- 
sent. Red Jacket and several more were 
still at Tonnewanta. Of Indians and squaws, 
from all parts of the Buffalo reservation, 
there was a larger collection, than when I 
visited them, last autumn. There were many 
more than could be accommodated in the 
council house, where we assembled together. 

Perhaps it is not generally known that if 
two or three chiefs and a few others only are 
present, the object of addressing all in the 
settlement is answered ; because, every public 
speech delivered is repeated over and over to 
their people, as they collect together, from 
cabin to casbin, for some days after. No con- 



63 

gregation of white people is to be found, 
where a discourse on any rehgious subject is 
better remembered, or so fully repeated for 
the satisfaction and benefit of those, who had 
not had an opportunity to hear it. What is 
spoken intelligibly to half a dozen is rehears- 
ed, not unfrequently, to hundreds. 

I had an able interpreter in Thomas Arm- 
strong, who, like Hank Johnson, was taken 
in infancy, adopted, and brought up, as a 
member of the tribe. After singing, Mr. 
Hyde read the Lord's prayer, in Seneca, 
which he had recently translated. This was 
the first time these Indians had heard it in 
their native tongue. I previously stated to 
them, that their friend and teacher would re- 
peat to them, in their language, this prayer, 
which was taught us by Jesus Christ, the Sa- 
viour of the world. 

In my address, after praying and singing again, 
I spoke of the work of regeneration, represent- 
ing that all, who ever become the true follow- 
ers of the Lamb of God, pass this wonderful 
change. I spoke of its glorious effects upon 
the temper, views, wishes, and disposition, of 
all, who experience this work of grace. I 
spoke of the plan of salvation by Jesus Christ; 
of repentance, representing that it implies, if 



64 

genuine, not only a deep and heartfelt sorrow 
for sin, but a forsaking of that hateful thing, 
so that it sliall no more have a reigning influ- 
ence ; of the Bible ; of the commands, pro- 
mises, and thfeatenings contained in that sa- 
cred volume ; of the ten commandments, 
how they were delivered to the children of 
Israel amid the thunderings and quakings of 
the mount ; and of the purport of those com- 
mandments, with a brief comment. I ex- 
horted them to listen to the momentous truths 
of the word of God, and closed my address, 
expressing the hope, that, with the aid of 
their good instructor, Mr. Hyde, they would, 
before long, be made more extensively ac- 
quainted with the precious records of the gos- 
pel, to the comfort, joy, and salvation of their 
never-dying souls. 

It was almost sunset, when the exercises 
were finished. Pollard made a short address. 
His first sentence, delivered with a solemn 
tone of voice, was interpreted in these words; 

We thank the Great Spirit, that we are 
brought so near to the close of another day in 
health and strength. 

How many are there, who have lived amid 
the full blaze of the light of the gospel and have 



65 

never tendered such a tribute of gratitude to 
the Giver of all good, as, upon this occasion, 
dropped from the mouth of this poor heathen ! 
There is much reason to suppose that Pollard, 
like Cornplanter, needs only to understand 
the gospel, sincerely to embrace it. It is evi- 
dent that he has many serious reflections. 
He said on one occasion, not long since, that 
he was always thinking of the Great Spirit ; 
and, on another, that he daily offers him his 
prayers. 

After the foregoing expression of thanks- 
giving to Almighty God, this chief, in the 
name of his brethren, thanked me for coming 
again to talk to them about the Great Spirit 
and the gospel of Jesus Christ. He further- 
more said, 

We hope that we shall be enabled to re- 
member what you have told us^ and, with God's 
merciful help, to give great attention to it, and 
we pray the Great Spirit to give you health 
and strength to return in safety to your home. 

Mr. Hyde has resigned the charge of the 
school, which he had had under his care for 
five years. He thought it would be advanta- 
geous to the Indians to suspend it for a sea- 
son. They now begin to express their de- 
f2 



66 

vsire for its re-commencement. At present, 
Mr. Hyde is busily employed in acquiring the 
Seneca, gradually preparing a grammar of 
that dialect, and translating into it the gos- 
pel according to the evangelist John. In 
this important labour, he is assisted by Tho- 
mas Armstrong, with whom he was providen- 
tially brought to an acquaintance, when 
greatly needing, but not knowing where to 
find, one, so competent to the task of giving 
him correct instruction. Mr. Hyde is actua- 
ted by an ardent desire to help the pitiable 
natives around him to a knowledge of the 
truth as it is in Jesus. He has the confidence 
of those, among whom he resides, more than 
any other man. His occasional discourses, 
of which I wrote you, last year, delivered and 
interpreted to them, have had a surprising 
effect. Last winter he pronounced several 
of these, in which he gave a detail of the 
prominent Indian vices and unbecoming prac- 
tices. He was led, in the progress of these 
exercises, to speak of the unkindness, with 
which the squaws are treated. It seems to 
be expected of them, that they should perform 
more than their nature can well endure. They 
have been in the habit, time immemorial, of 



67 

cutting and bringing upon their backs the 
most of the firewood they burn. Mr. Hyde 
became their advocate in his public addresses. 
Directly after, the Indians went into the 
woods, felled and cut up a large supply of 
fuel, and brought it to their cabins in wagons. 
A squaw has seldom since been seen lugging 
firewood upon her back. This shows that 
these aboriginal natives only want the right 
kind of instruction from those, in whom they 
have confidence, to wean them from, at least, 
some of their reprehensible practices. It is 
exceedingly desirable that Mr. Hyde should 
be duly patronised and encouraged in all his 
operations for the best interests of a people, 
whose spiritual welfare engrosses the warm- 
est aflections of his heart, and, more exten- 
sively to promote his usefulness, that he 
should become an ordained minister among 
them. 

Mrs. Hyde, at Seneca, and Mrs. Oldham, 
at Jennesadaga, having made considerable 
proficiency in the acquisition of the langua- 
ges of the natives, have the opportunity, as 
they have the ability and the disposition, to 
be of essential advantage in promoting the 
spiritual welfare of the female part of their 
respective communities. 



68 

In passing the Alleghany reservation, I 
called upon some of the Indian families, but 
the principal interpreter was absent. I spent 
a night with Jonathan Thomas, who, acting 
under the direction of the Society of Friends 
in Philadelphia, has a superintendence over 
the occupants of this reservation, is much in- 
terested in their welfare, and has been of no 
small advantage in promoting a knowledge of 
agricultural and various mechanical employ- 
ments and in banishing the use of ardent spi- 
rits from that aboriginal settlement. 

The school at Cold Spring is in a flourish- 
ing state. Another, established by the same 
Society of Friends, in the Kataraugus reser- 
vation, has been recently commenced. Mr. 
Thomas, in his sequestered situation, had not 
heard of the instituting of an American 
Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. 
I informed him of the operations at Brainerd. 
He expressed much gratification that manual 
labour was to constitute a part of the system 
to be pursued. 

On the thirtieth of July, I arrived at Mr. 
Oldham's in Jennesadaga. The venerable 
Cornplanter soon came to welcome me to his 
village. He wished to know when I should 



69 

preach at that place. Being informed that 
I had fixed on the next day, he manifested a 
strong desire to procure an interpreter. Tlie 
next morning, he sent a runner, seven miles, 
for one, so early, that he returned by eight 
o'clock ; but, to our mutual regret, without 
success. Cornplanter, his family, and a num- 
ber of other Indians, attended the meeting 
with some white people from the Kinju 
Flats. 

This aged chief had been under a mental 
derangement, for several months, but was, to 
appearance, nearly recovered,when I saw him. 
He still expresses his desire of religious in- 
struction, and his interest in the prosperity of 
the school, which continues, but under some 
discouragements. Mrs. Oldham has under- 
taken to teach the young females of the vil- 
lage to read and to sew. Their proficiency 
has exceeded expectation. The afternoon I 
arrived, she was gone with two ofher pupils, 
grand-daughters of Cornplanter, to a quilting, 
who acquitted themselves, as well as any pre- 
sent, and much to their own gratification. 

Mr. Oldham, like Mr. Hyde, is continually 
advancing in a knowledge of the Seneca, 
and is equally revered by the natives. He is 



70 

pursuing theological studies, and, in due time, 
it is hoped, that both of these pious men will 
become preachers of the gospel to the Sene- 
cas in their native tongue. 

I am more and more impressed with the 
idea, every time I repair to these aboriginal 
people, of the importance of ministers resid- 
ing among them, and communicating to them 
religious truths in their vernacular language. 
Till this shall be, happily, the case, it is, un- 
questionably, useful to send missionaries 
among them, in order to keep alive their at- 
tention, which seems to be unusually excited, 
and with the help of interpreters, to give 
them what knowledge may be practicable of 
that gospel, which must, and will be, shortly, 
preached to every intelligent creature of 
every tribe on the face of the earth. 

Your respectful brother in the gospel, etc. 



71 



LETTER nil. 

Addressed to the Rev, Abiel Holmes^ 
D.D.yetc, 

Meadville, Penn. 20tb October, 1820. 
REV. AND DEAR SIR, 

By the good providence of God, I 
have, at length, fulfilled the appointment to 
the Senecas and Munsees, which was assign- 
ed me, last year, by the Society for Propa- 
gating the Gospel among the Indians and 
others in North America. I commenced my 
tour, accompanied, on this occasion, by my 
second son,* on the twenty-third of August, 
and returned to my family on the fourth of 
the present month, having travelled five hun- 
dred and forty-two miles, preached twenty -six 
times, visited the sick and sorrowful, assisted 
at prayer-meetings, and attended, as oppor- 
tunity offered, to various other missionary la- 
bours, as prescribed in my commission. 

We were cordially received by the white 
inhabitants, in our numerous wanderings from 



• Robert Wormsted Alden, now a midshipman In the U. S. 
Navy. 



72 



one section of the aboriginal settlements to 
another. In several places, on our way, 
there have been, recently, some special awake- 
nings, the happy fruits of which were mani- 
fest from the general tenour of conversation ; 
from the eagerness, with which people assem- 
bled together for religious worship and in- 
struction ; from the engagedness, with which 
they listened to the plain and solemn truths 
of the gospel ; and from the indescribable 
heart-cheering manner, in which they sung 
the praises of their Redeemer. 

It is painful, however, to mention, that a 
baneful influence was sometimes noticed, par- 
ticularly, from the wild, unscriptural represen- 
tations of a certain modern sect, which has 
the effrontery to claim the name o^ christian ^ 
or rather, christian^ as if those, assuming 
this name, were more like Christ, than any 
others ; yet leading captive silly women, and 
the ignorant of both sexes, maintaining the 
annihilation of the wicked, denying the divi- 
nity and the atonement of the Son of God, 
and, in this way, to the extent of their power, 
sapping the foundation of the christian fabric. 

As the aboriginal inhabitants were the pro- 
minent object of attention, agreeably to the 



instructions received, the extracts iVoin my 
journal, in reference to these too mucli neg- 
lected, but most interesting fellow-creatures, 
will be copious, and if some articles should 
be introduced, which seem, to a degree, irre- 
levant ; yet, if in the aggregate they tend to 
throw Hght on the history of the Indians, and 
to stimulate to greater exertions for their 
temporal and spiritual benefit, the communi- 
cation, although somewhat prolix, it is hoped, 
will not be unacceptable. 

On the thirty-first of August, we visited 
the chief warriour of the Senecas at his house 
in Kataraugus, the mild, humane, and vene- 
rable Wendunggu^itah. He at once recog- 
nised me, although two years were elapsed 
since our last interview ; and, after a little 
pause, as if considering what to say, in reply, 
to what 1 had uttered, with a placid counte- 
nance, not unlike in appearance to that of 
Francis Xavier, addressed me in the following 
manner, as interpreted by Hank Johnson. 

I thank the Great Spirit, that he has given 
you health and strength to come and see your 
red brethren once more. I thank you for ful- 
filling your -promise to visit me and my 
people again. I am glad to see you. I shall 



74 



he glad to have ijou preach to my people about 
the gospel next sabbath. You must not think 
it hard if all should not attend as you may 
ivish ; for, I suppose, you have heard that 
there is a division among the Indians. Some 
of them have agreed to keep the sabbath ; but 
others are determined to follow the way, 
which their fathers have taught ; but-, for my- 
self, I shall be glad to have you preach the 
gospel in the council house, next sabbath. 

At this time, there was an assemblage of 
Indians at the council-house, near at hand, it 
being one of the days of their feast of in- 
gathering. We repaired thither and found a 
company, consisting of about one hundred 
Senecas and Munsees, male and female, old 
and young, deeply engaged in some kind of 
play with hazel nuts. On being introduced 
by Johnson, as Sijinnestaje, their amusements 
were immediately suspended, and there was 
a profound silence. I embraced the oppor- 
tunity, without ceremony, to make an ad- 
dress, which 1 concluded by stating, that, on 
the next sabbath, I expected to be with them 
again, in that place, to preach the gospel, 
and that I hoped for a general attendance. 
'i'hey instantly made the council house to 



ring-, with a loud, animated, and universal 
yeuch yeueh, or shout of approbation. 

We were kindly entertained at the house 
of Jacob Taylor, whose large and well culti- 
vated farm is contiguous to the reservation. 
He has long exercised, under the direction of 
the Society of Friends in Philadelphia, a su- 
perintendence over the Kataraugus Indians, 
and has been greatly instrumental in melio- 
rating their temporal condition. Here I saw, 
for the second time, the aqed Kohkundenoiya, 
who, from the wonderful powers of his mem- 
ory, and the principal occupation of his past 
life, is extensively known by the name of 
Coffee House. In 1818, when at the cabin 
of Peter Kraus, on the Alleghany, having no 
one to interpret, he gave me a concise histo- 
ry of his life, mostly by signs as expressive 
and as intelligible, as are those of the pupils in 
the asylum of the deaf and dumb at Hartford. 
He represented, at that time, that he had ar- 
rived at the uncommon age of one hundred 
years. 

To ascertain his age, I pointed to his silver 
locks, and with the elevation of my fingers 
intimated my wish, which he fully compre- 
hended ; and, to satisfy me, he placed my 



76 



hands open, one on each knee. He then 
bent the joint of one of my fingers, held up 
both his hands with all his fingers extended, 
and waved them, once, in the air, by which! 
was to understand ten years. He then bent 
another of my fingers, held out his hands with 
his fing.ers extended and waved them, once, 
as before, by which he designed that I should 
add another ten years, making twenty ; and 
thus he proceeded, till all my fingers had been 
bent, and, finally, pointed to himself; which 
was saying, in the language of signs, that his 
age was ten times ten, or one hundred years. 
From other sources the credibility of his 
statement has since been confirmed. He 
had rode thirty miles, the day of his arrival, 
and was on his way to Canada to visit his 
relatives, but spent the night at Mr. Taylor's 
hospitable mansion, where the Indians always 
find a welcome reception and the most friend- 
ly attentions. He has but an irriperfect 
knowledge of the christian religion ; yet he 
seems to have a deep and solemn sense of his 
dependence on Nauwenneyu, or the Great 
Spirit, to whom, in the silent watches of the 
night, when he, no doubt, thought there was 
no mortal to witness his devotions, he has 



77 



been often heard pouring forth the aspirations 
of his soul, in fervent prayer. He is, by 
birth, of the Onondaga tribe, and was born 
near the site of Geneva, in the state of New- 
York. He was with the Indians, who form- 
ed an ambuscade, surprised, and defeated 
general Braddock, in 1755, and was with the 
French at Fort du Quesne, at the time of 
their abandonment of that post, in 1758. 
During a great part of his long life, he has 
been employed, as a courier, to carry news 
from tribe to tribe. Many a time has he been 
present at councils, which were, sometimes, 
continued for weeks, when a vast mass of 
matter was brought to view, and numerous 
speeches were made ; yet, such was the te- 
nacity of his memory, he would give the 
whole in detail, to the omission of nothing 
important, as he proceeded from one nation 
to another. The Indians, like the Athenians 
of ancient days, are fond of news. Hence, 
the presence of Kohkundenoiya would al- 
ways cause them speedily to assemble togeth- 
er, in whatever village he appeared, such was 
their desire to hear of the passing events from 
a man. who readily imparted all the quantum 



of intelligence to be collected at a Coftee- 
House. 

On the sabbath, the third of September, 
we went to the council house, to fulfil my 
engagement. Knowing that Hank Johnson 
was obliged to be at Chauddaukvva lake, this 
day, while on my course through th§ woods 
to the place of convocation, not strictly con- 
forming to aboriginal etiquette, and with a 
view to save time, I took the liberty to send 
a young Munsee to Henry York, a little dis- 
tance from my route, requesting him to come 
and officiate as my interpreter. Had I re- 
flected a moment, I should have left this ap- 
plication to an arrangement of the chiefs ; 
for, it is well known, that the Indians will 
seldom attend to any business of importance 
with a stranger, unless the previous sanction 
of the heads of their tribe have been obtain- 
ed. We repaired to the dwelhng house of 
Wendungguhtah, which we found cleanly 
swept. He was neatly dressed, but unable 
to walk in consequence of a hurt recently re- 
ceived. The young Munsee soon returned, 
and reported that Henry York said he ivould 
not come. He was the only person then on 
ihe reservation, who could answer my pur- 



79 



pose. My situation, for a short period, was 
painful ; I doubt not, similar to what our mis- 
sionary brethren in Asia often experienced, 
when first surrounded by people of a strange 
tongue. The Indians were already beginning 
to assemble together, though long before the 
hour of appointment. They had expressed 
an eagerness to hear the gospel. I'hcir early 
attendance was an evidence of their sincere 
and ardent desire of religious instruction ; 
and th's was probably the last opportunity I 
shoulu have of addressing them on subjects 
of eternal moment. The chief warri our. per- 
ceiving m) embarrassment, soon relieved 
my mind from the tedium of uncertainty and 
suspense. He despatched a runner to York, 
who promptly came, and ably performed the 
task assigned him. 

The line of demarcation between the friends 
and the foes of religion, in aH tlie Indian res- 
ervations we visited, is now distinctly drawn. 
They are divided into a Christian and a Pa- 
gan party ; the former, in general, embracing 
the most of those, who have heretofore been 
considered the most respectable among the 
chiefs, warriours, and commonalty ; the lat- 



80 

ter, the intemperate, quarrelsome, indolent; 
and most degraded. 

My audience, assembled in the council 
house, consisted of about sixty Senecas. 
None of the Munsees saw fit to honour me 
with a hearing. These are of the pagan par- 
ty, almost universally ; are much addicted to 
an excessive use of strong drink ; and, on my 
former missions, have showed littte disposi> 
tion for rchgious instruction. 

After singing a hymn in the Seneca dia- 
lect, in which a goodly number cheerfully 
joined, and a prayer, which few of them 
could understand, as it was not interpreted, 
I addressed them for more than an hour, and 
was delighted at their profound attention and 
orderly behaviour, during the religious exer- 
cises ; and no less so at the decorous man- 
ner, in which they retired from the house of 
worship, in all directions, to their respective 
cabins. I never have witnessed greater pro- 
priety of conduct in any congregation what- 
ever. 

In communicating moral and religious in- 
struction to the Indians, long dissertations on 
any particular topic are not so profitable to 
^hcm as laconic representations of duties and 



81 



obligations, and narratives, drawn from scrip- 
ture, of" the dealings of God with the human 
race, accompanied with reflections and ex- 
hortations. As usual, however, I took a 
text for a guide to the leading ideas I wished 
to suggest ; and, on this occasion, selected 
these words ; if ye love me, keep my com- 
7nandments. I represented to my auditors, 
that this was the language of the great God 
and Saviour of the world ; that true religion 
consisted in a real love of this best of beings ; 
and that, if they loved him, they would gladly 
know what are those commandments, and 
W( uld wish, and strive and rejoice, to keep 
them, to the extent of their power, merely 
from the principle of love to the Creator and 
Redeemer. I gave them a concise view of 
the decalogue, with remarks upon its purity 
and extent, and the happiness, which, in this 
life, would redovmd t«) every nation, if uni- 
v("?!i]]v and conscientiously regarded. In 
anmiidvefi ig upon the lou; !^ coiiimand- 
mert, notice was taken of the laudable reso- 
lution they had formed to hallow the sabbalh, 
a day ever to be sacredly devoted, by the 
people of God, to the duties of religion. I 
spake also of the commands of Jesus Chris.t, 



and especially of that new command, that 
they should love one another. Various ex- 
hortations followed, in which I offered much 
on the numerous ill effects, every where evi- 
dent, for want of more of this love to God 
and love to man. In descanting upon the vi- 
ces, which prevailed, where this heavenly 
principle was not deeply rooted in the heart, 
I endeavoured to give a copious detail of the 
awful consequences of drunkenness, that sin, 
which, of all others, the most easily besets 
the poor Indians. I told them that I was 
happy to learn, that the temperance of the 
Senecas, in Kataraugus, was often mention- 
ed in terms of high commendation ; but, that 
it was a matter of sore regret, that there were 
still some among them, who indulged iii a 
vice, which degraded man below the brutes, 
and which was, not unfrequently, but a prel- 
ude to fightings, murders, beggary, and infa- 
my. A solemn appeal was made to them for 
the truth of the disgusting representation. 
One was present, as I well knew, who, in a 
state of intoxication, had killed his neigh- 
bour, about two years before, and every one 
of the assembly had oflen witnessed the dread- 
*ful effects of drunkenness. Some account 



8o 



was given of the plain and pungent manner 
in which Samson Occum, a minister of the 
gospel, and one of their red brethren, had 
preached on the ruinous consequences of this 
vice. This, represented as coming from aa 
Indian, excited a veiy noticeable attention. 

In order that their children might be train- 
ed up to that love of the blessed Redeemer, 
which the holy scriptures enjoin, I spoke of 
the importance of education ; and, to cor- 
roborate the arguments offered, referred to a 
speech on this subject, made by the late John 
Sky, a Tonnewanta chief, in my hearing, at 
a great council, in 1818, a few months before 
his death, and delivered with a pathos, which 
would have done honour to any orator of 
Greece or Rome. I animadverted on the 
kindness of the Friends in Philadelphia, re- 
presenting that these benevolent people had 
early attended to their welfare ; that they had 
not only taught them to cultivate their lands, 
and presented them with various implements 
of husbandry, greatly to their temporal pros- 
perity and comfort ; and had given them 
much moral instruction ; but had established 
a school for the express benefit of their oi!- 
spring. This had, unhappily, been suspend- 



84 

<?(1, during the violence of opposition from the 
pagan party ; but, as 1 was glad to learn, 
would be soon renewed. I urged them, by 
various reasons, to cause their children 
diligently to attend the school, that they might 
be taught to read the word of God, some 
parts of which were already translated into 
their language ; that being made acquainted 
with the instructions, which the great and 
good Spirit had been pleased to communicate 
to the world, they might hope to be led to 
love him and to keep his commandments, to 
his glory and to their present and future hap- 
piness. 

I had, at first, stated, that I came by direc- 
tion of that Society, which, on previous occa- 
sions, had commissioned me to impart to 
them the truths of the gospel. I represented 
that the good people of that Society had no 
sinister views in adopting measures of this 
kind ; that they did not wish for their lands, 
furs, corn, money, nor any thing the} pos- 
sessed ; but that, feeling in their own hearts 
the obligation and the comfort of loving God, 
and endeavouring to keep his command- 
ments, and knowing it, from the sacred word, 
to be their duty and privilege to love all the 



members of the great family of mankind, of 
whatever tribe or complexion, as brethren, 
they wished and prayed, and, in various ways, 
exerted themselves, that the glorious realities 
of the true religion might be made known to 
them. From the same regard to the word of 
God and to the eternal welfare of precious 
and immortal souls many others, near the 
big water, towar^ls the rising sun- had, for a 
number of years, been most actively engaged 
in sending ministers of the gospel to different 
and diduint tribes, of various tongues, to 
preach this love to God and love to man ; 
and, from the highest authority, it might be 
declared, that the day was fast approaching, 
when this heavenly principle would be ufi'ver- 
sally felt, and there would be one fold and 
one shepherd for all the nations of the earth. 
In concluding this part of my address, I 
descanted on the complacency and delight, 
which the people of God are wont to expe- 
rience amid the troubles and the trials inci- 
dent to the present state ; the animating 
hope which cheers the departing saint ; and 
the unspeakable rewards of grace, which are 
in sure reversion beyond the grave. I stated 
that I had known many, who, on a death-bed, 



86 

felt greater consolation than they could ex- 
press, from the spiritual communications of 
that merciful Saviour, in whom was all their 
trust. I suggested that my nearest earthly 
friend,* who had been taken from me in the 
midst of her days, a few months before, in 
the immediate prospect of death, but a few 
moments before she closed her eyes upon all 
things here below, said, with a serenity of 
countenance, which I could never forget, 
*' worlds could not purchase the hope I have ;'* 
and if they were united to Jesus, by a living 
faith, they would be blessed with a similar 
transporting hope, on the approach of that 
event, which awaits all th ■ children of men, 
and which is always nigh at hand. 

Many other things, in this way, were offer- 
ed to the serious consideration of my red 
brethren, and the address was closed with an 
exhortation to think much on what they had 
heard ; to be often in prayer to the great 
God and Saviour of the world for a heart to 
love him and to serve him upon earth, that 
they might glorify and enjoy him for ever in 
heaven. On taking my final leave of these 
poor natives of the wilderness, I besought 

* Note D. 



87 



the Lord, that, if we should never meet to- 
gether again in any house of prayer in this 
world, as we probably never should, this 
people, and all the unenlightened tribes of 
this western world, might be soon made, by 
the all-conquering power of the Holy Ghost, 
to love the Saviour of sinners with all their 
heart ; and that we might meet our Judge 
in peace and joy, in the morning of the res- 
urrection, and be satisfied with his likeness, 
when we shall see him as he is. 

Kaukaugedde, a Kataraugus chief, made 
a friendly aodress in reference to what I had 
offered. He recapitulated many of the lead- 
ing ideas, which had been suggested, and 
stated that they had understood all that had 
been said on the occasion. He then remark- 
ed, that as the chief warriour had not been 
able to attend the meetmg, and as most of the 
chiefs were absent, no particular talk had 
been prepared for me ; but, that they gave 
me many thanks for what they had heard, and 
hoped that they should all think much of the 
words of the Great Spirit. 

Henry York rose and said, that he then 
spoke in his own name ; that he gave me 
raanv thanks for what I had told them ; and 



88 

that he was determined to do all in his power 
to prevent the Indians from drinking whis- 
key. 

The son of VVendungguhtah, a young chief 
of interesting aspect, who was handsomely 
clad in the aboriginal costume, stood up, with 
his left arm akimbo, and his right gracefully 
used, and made a short appropriate speech, 
a part of which was interpreted in these 
words ; 

/ wish to express my individual thanks for 
what I have heard. I have perfectly under' 
stood the whole I am resolved to attend to 
these instructions, for I think much of death. 

It is a remarkable fact, that two Indians, 
whose names are Johnson and Turkey, have 
actually been appointed by the chiefs at Eat- 
araugus, as persons the most competent to 
the task, to instruct the natives, from sabbath 
to sabbath, in the christian religion ! They 
were both present. Johnson gave an exhor- 
tation, urging upon the assembly the impor- 
tance of what had been brought to view. 
He expressed his ideas, in forcible language, 
as to the momentous nature of those things, 
and his hope, that they should persevere in 
keeping the sabbath. He avowed his reso- 



89 



Jutiou to attend to the duty assigned him by 
the chiefs, so long as they should see fit to 
continue him in the office, and tendered me 
his hearty thanks. He then requested me to 
sing, and pray, and dismiss the congregation, 
which was accordingly done. 

On my proposal, York, Kaukaugedde, 
Johnson, Turkey, and several others, went 
with me to the chief warriour's habitation. 
York gave him an account of the agreeaole 
meeting we had had, at the council house, 
with a full statement of what had been 
said to his people. I informed this vene- 
rable chief, that I should have it in my 
power to make a report of this mission to the 
benevolent Society at Boston, which, I trust- 
ed, would gladden the hearts of many. I 
then spent considerable time in giving him 
an idea of what exertions had been made in 
a former age, soon after the settlement of 
white people on this island, for imparting the 
truths of the gospel to the tribes of eastern 
Indians ; and, in our day, for multitudes, as 
ignorant as the Indians, far beyond the big 
water. I gave him the first intelligence, he 
over received, relative to the noble establish- 
H 2 



90 

meiits atBrainerd and Eliot, and of the happy 
consequences already resulting to many in 
those remote regions ; informing him, at the 
same time, of the resolve in council, among 
the chiefs of the Chauktaus, to appropriate, 
annually, a most liberal sum for the exten- 
sive introduction and support of schools in 
their villages. As 1 proceeded in my narra- 
tive, the joy and gratitude of his heart were 
strikingly portrayed in his visage, and he fre- 
quently uttered, with emphasis, exclamations 
of astonishment, gratification, and applause. 
In the close of the interview, he gave me a 
friendly parting address, gently pressing my 
right hand, which, for a long time, he held 
in his own, slating his satisfaction in this re- 
newed visit and expressing his ardent hope 
that the time might soon come, when all the 
Indians would embrace the gospel of Jegus 
Christ. 

After sha-king hands with all present, as I 
had done with those at the council house, 
according to invariable custom at all assem- 
blies of these aboriginal descendants, I took 
my leave of the thoughtful and amiable Wen- 
dungguhtah, and set my face for the Se 



91 



neca villages on the Tuseowa, or Buflalo 
Creek. 

On Tuesday, the fifth of September, we 
arrived at the mission house in the most po- 
pulous village in the Buffalo Creek reserva- 
tion, still occupied by Mr. Hyde, who, having 
passed through many tribulations and dis- 
couragements in his benevolent and arduous 
labours, continued for about nine years, for 
the temporal and spiritual welfare of the Se- 
necas, is now rejoicing in the prospect of a 
better day, which already begins to glimmer 
on this benighted people. 

It may be proper to notice, in this part of 
my narrative, a paragraph, which was intro- 
duced into many of our periodical publica- 
tions, last year, announcing that, at a great 
council held at this place, in June, the Indi- 
ans had resolved to have nothing to do with 
the christian rehgion. It is true that their 
mincis were exceedingly agitated at the mea- 
sures adopted to induce them to leave their 
goodly heritage for some territory far to the 
west. Red Jacket was appointed to reply 
to the United States' commissioner, and to 
those holding the pre-emption right to their 
lands, then present, in the name of the chiefs 



9^ 



of the six nations. He declared, that they 
had no desire, and that they were determinedj 
as they had often made known, in times past, 
never to abandon these lands, given to them 
by the Great Spirit long before any white man 
ever saw them, and holding in their bosom 
the bones of their fathers. The orator, with 
his accustomed acumen, acted well his part, 
with the exception, that he exceeded the 
limits of his commission. In the warmth of 
his eloquence, having generally manifested a 
hostility to the christian religion, he took 
the liberty, which had not been delegated to 
him, to announce that they would have no- 
thing to do with ministers of the gospel, 
schoolmasters, quakers, nor any white peo- 
ple, and that they would no more suffer them 
to reside on any of their lands. Some time 
after the delivery of Red Jacket's speech, 
which will not be soon forgotten, so much 
did it abound with genius and wit, the chiefs 
requested that what he had said about the 
gospel and schools might not be sent to their 
father, the President of the United States, as 
he had uttered more, than he was authorised 
by them to do. They were told that their 



93 

application was too late, as the writing was 
finished. The fact is, the Indians were ge- 
nerally and most strenuously opposed to the 
selling of their reservations ; and of the chiefs 
ther - was a sweeping majority in favour of 
the establishment of schools, and of instruc- 
tion in the christian religion- the powerful 
representations of Red Jacket to the contrary 
notwithstanding. 

It was in a short period after this noted 
council, that tlr^ Indians began to take a 
more decided ground, than t'.ey had ever 
done before, either for or against the gospel. 
They are now divided, as already remarked, 
in all the reservations into a Christian and 
a Pagan par^y. While the latter seems to 
exhibit a kind of dying strugjrie for existence, 
the former increases in number and zeal for 
a knowledge of the truth. Often did we 
meet with individuals, who expressed an ar- 
dent desire to understand all the words of 
the Great Spirit written in his book. Hence 
the Indians are greatly pleased at the labours 
of Mr Hyde in translating and printing, from 
time to time, portions of the Holy Scriptures. 
He will shortly have finished a selection from 
the Bible, to the amount of about one hun- 



94 



dred pages of Seneca and English, in oppo- 
site columns. He has spared no pains nor 
expense to cause many of the Indians to be 
instructed in the art of singing. This is an 
exercise, for which they have, generally, very 
pleasant voices ; in which they have made 
commendable proficiency ; and in which they 
much delight. In almost every cabin we 
entered, the singing book was immediately 
produced* and many pieces of our best 
church music were sung, by note, in just 
time, and by words, prepared by Mr. Hyde, 
in their vernacular tongue. In some of the 
aborigmal public assemblies, which we at- 
tended, the singing was superior, in the style 
of execution, to what we commonly have in 
the greater part of our congregations of white 
people in Western Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Hyde, under the patronage of the 
New York Missionary Society, with the hum- 
ble but honourable name of a catechist, deli- 
vers regular discourses, from sabbath to sab- 
bath, in the village of his residence, and, oc- 
casionally, at Kataraugas and Tonnewanta, 
when a cavalcade of nearly twenty of the 
principal characters of his more immediate 
^charge, accompanies him, thirty miles, from 



respect to this faithful labourer in the vine- 
yard, and to encourage the hearts and strength- 
en the hands of their brethren, of those reser- 
vations in the work of the Lord. It is desir- 
able that he should receive ordination, as his 
theological attainments and acquaintance 
with experimental religion may justly war- 
rant such a measure, and, especially, as his 
sphere of usefulness would be enlarged. 

Although Mr. Hyde is sometimes absent, 
on the sabbath, yet his people statedly hold a 
meeting, at which several of the chiefs pray, 
repeat passages trom those parts of the Bible 
already translated, and give an exhortation. 
They have a decent and comfortable place 
for public worship in their council house, 
which, by a resolve of long standing, is the 
chief council fire place of all the six nations. 
The present is a new building, forty-two by 
eighteen feet, and is well constructed of hewn 
logs. It is shingled, glazed arched ceiled, 
and famished with neat and commodious 
seats, and with a good chimney — all the 
work of Indians. The monthly concert of 
prayer is here observed, and on every thurs- 
day evening, the singers meet together to 
perfect themselves in psalmody and for reli- 



96 

On thursday, the seventh of September, 
we attended this stated exercise. Mr. Cal- 
lender, their worthy and indefatigable teacher 
of music, was present I was surprised at 
their excellent performance. The tune, as- 
signed for that evening, was the Portuguese 
hymn, or Adeste Fideles. It was not long 
before they sung it with great correctness, 
though they had never tried it before. The 
following words had been prepared by Mr. 
Hyde for this deligl.tful piece of sarred mu- 
sic, and are here preserved, as a specimen of 
the language, ia which, previously to the 
year 18 1 8^ the praises of redeeming love were 
probably never sung ; several copies were 
written in a plain hand, so that some of the 
Indians could read them« and the rest were 
soon able to repeat them, memoriter. It 
may be remarked, that no language is better 
adapted to vocal music, than the Seneca, 
which is soft and mellifluous, as the Italian, or 
the Ionic dialect of the Greek. 

Sis-wa-Hgn-iio-tus Na-yad-da-gvien-ne-yfi 
Ga-gwa-go Kl-wl-ya No-yii-dus-hah 
Ka-na-ho Yu-w6n-ja-ga Na-suiig-gwa-\ve 
Na-sld-dwa-dgn-no-tus JN a-kl-na-sa. 



97 



^wad-do-hu-ok Na-de-s\vi-e-\vI-yG-stu 
Ha-ll-yad-da-da Na-yad-da-gvvgn-ne-yu 
Dis-sId-dwa-soun-yO Nri-sgn-noii-do-ggii-t*;) 
ISa-sId-d\va-d?n-no-tus Na-ki-na-sa. 

Jesus Ha-ne-yu-e-wa-na ah-gwiit Na- 
sah Ha-ne-squa-nunk-qua De-ya-sah-soun-yo 
0-na-dw5t-tan-rie Na-sld-dw6t-kgn-nis-sus 
Na-sld-dwa-dgn-no-tus Na-kl-na-sa. 

Literal Translation. 
Sing unto the Lord ; 
All his works are perfect ; 
The whole earth is full of his gifts ; 
Let us sing unto him a new song. 

Rejoice, ye righteous, 
Before the Lord, 
And praise his name. 
Let us sing unto him a new song. 

Jesus, for thy wondrouo love 
To us, be praises given. 
Let us go, and worship before him. 
Let us sing unto him a new song. 

I made an address to the little assembly, 
which George Jamieson, brother of Jacob, 
mentioned in a former communication, and 
grandson of Mary Jamieson, the white wo- 
man at Gauhdaou, interpreted, and conclud- 
I 



98 



ed with prayer. About twenty only were 
present. Considerable sickness prevailed at 
that time, and WiUiam King, a Cayuga chief, 
and son of Young King, was dangerously ill 
with an epidemic fever. The whole village 
was anxiously waiting the issue of his malady. 
No people are more sympathetic, in time of 
trouble, than the Senecas. It was in conse- 
quence of the sickness, then prevalent, so 
few attended the meeting. Formerly, in sea- 
sons of distress, they generally had recourse 
to ardent spirits, to drown their sorrow ; but 
now, the friends of the christian religion, 
though equally depressed^ shun society and 
bear their anguish in silent grief. 

Wishing, on this excursion, if practicable, 
to extend my missionary labours to the ab- 
original settlements on the Genessee river, 
we went as far as Tonnewanta to spend the 
sabbath. The only interpreter, at that place, 
was Peter Baldwin, and it was well known 
that he was strongly opposed to the christian 
party. It was doubtful whether he could be 
induced to officiate as my interpreter, and, 
if he could, whether he would be faithful. 
Mr. Hyde had kindly intended, under these 
considerations, that Thomas Armstrong, his 



90 



interpreter, should accompany us to Tonnc- 
wanta, lest the object in view should be frus- 
trated ; but he was seized with violent symp- 
toms of the epidemic and could not travel 
with us. 

On our arrival at Tonne wanta, thirty-four 
miles from Seneca on the Buffalo, we called 
first upon Littlebeard, whose aboriginal name 
is Shegwiendaukwe, a respectable Indian, 
and the only chief on the reservation, who is 
friendly to the christian religion. We then 
repaired to the habitation of John Bennet, an 
intelligent aboriginal, who appears to be ex- 
erting himself more vigorously, than any other 
in the place, to promote the Redeemer's 
cause. He went with us and>introduced me 
to Peter Baldwin. I frankly stated the de- 
sign of my visit, expressed my wish to meet, 
the next day, with the chiefs and as many of 
the inhabitants as could convene, having a 
communication to make, and hoped that he 
would perform the part of an interpreter on 
the occasion. He unexpectedly consented, 
and promptly said, that he would do as well 
as he could. 1 told him I did not wish him 
to be at that trouble for nought, and that he 
should have a compensation, which would be 



100 

satisfactory. He then proposed that I should 
be at the council house early in the morning. 
We spent the night at Littlebeard's, where 
we were hospitably entertained in the truly 
characteristic Indian style. Soon after an 
early breakfast, faking Bennet with us, we 
proceeded to the cabin cf Peter Baldwin, 
whom we found, in a kind of piazza, waiting 
our arrivals with his aged father, Konnohken- 
touwe, the head chief of this section of the 
tribe, Peter King, who is a chief, and brother 
of Young King, with several others of the vil- 
lage. Baldwin said, that Peter King was to 
set out, that day, for Grand River ; that the 
people, meaning the pagan party, would not 
meet at the council house, till late in the 
afternoon ; and that the chiefs desired me, if 
agreeable, to make my communication to- 
them, at that time and place, adding, that 
they would report to the assembly whatever I 
might offer, as soon a^ collected together. 
Knowing that, if I should comply with the 
wish expressed, every purpose would be an- 
swered, as fully, as if I were to deliver what 
I had to say in the council house, conforma- 
bly to a remark, specially made, in my last 
report to you, I immediately commenced mv 



101 



address, and continued it for three hours. I 
considered, that I was about to deliver a 
message from the great Head of the church 
to the leaders of the pagan party ; that what 
I should bring to view would be minutely 
and repeatedly detailed to the inhabitants of 
the reservation ; and, as this was no doubt 
the only opportunity I should ever have of 
pleading the cause of my I ord and Master 
with the poor benighted, deluded, and pitia- 
ble, enemies of the cross, in this part of the 
kingdom of darkness, I ought to be full and 
explicit. 

A just and particular delineation of all the 
parts of this discourse would extend this re- 
port to a wearisome length. Multum inpar^ 
vo shall be my ami. After informing the 
chiefs of the Society, whose benevolent views, 
in reference to the moral and religious benefit 
of my red brethren, it was my duty and hap- 
piness to endeavour to fulfil, I spake of 
that infinitely glorious Being, who is the fa- 
ther of every human soul, and the creator of 
all things ; of his communications to the 
world ; of the holy scriptures, as containing 
the word of God, and that a knowledge and a 
reception of this sacred word was essentia!, 
I 2 



102 



to make us wise unto eternal life ; of tlif; 
work of creation; of the divine appointment 
of the sabbath, of universal obligation ; of the 
fall of our first parents ; of the wickedness of 
the antediluvians ; of their wonderful de- 
struction by a flood of water ; of the miracu- 
lous pieservation of Noah, his family, and the 
living creatures with him, in the ark ; of the 
subsequent iniquity of the children of men, 
conunued to the present day ; of God's pe- 
culiar people, the posterity of Israel, to whom 
he committed the oracles of truth, for the in- 
struction of all men ; of the ten command- 
ments, spoken by the Great Spirit, amid the 
thunders and the lightnings of the mount ; of 
the renewed injunction to keep the sabbath ; 
of the early promise of Jesus Christ, as the 
only Redeemer and Saviour of any of the de- 
scendants of Adam ; of the various prophe- 
cies concerning this glorious Messiah, deliv- 
ered many ages before he came ; and of his 
advent at the time, which had been foretold, 
mentioning the number of years, since his 
appearance, as I had done, relative to the 
time from the creation to the deluge. The 
way was now prepared for speaking particu- 
larly of the gospel dispensation, upon which 



103 



I descanted at considerable length, giving arz 
account of the birth, miracles, benevolent op- 
erations, life, sufferings, crucifixion, resurrcc- 
reclion, and ascension, of the Son of God ; of 
the doctrines he taught ; of the brevity and un- 
certainty of the present life ; of death, the res- 
urrection, judgment, and eternity ; ot the so- 
lemn and unreserved account, which everyone 
must give, when Christ shall come to judge the 
world, fixing his tribunal in the mid-heavens, 
and pronouncing the sentence, from which 
there will be no appeal ; of the necessity of 
believing in the Son of God ; of the happi- 
ness and glory of all, who choose this bless- 
ed Redeemer for their everlasting portion ; 
and of the indescribable misery and despair 
of all, who finally reject the proffered terms 
of grace. 1 frankly allowed that the vile and 
unprincipled among their white brethren had 
often treated them ill, to the painful regret oi" 
the true followers of Jesus Christ. I, stated 
that, if the Indians were well instructed, they 
would not be liable to such impositions from 
abandoned white people, as they had often 
suffered ; that nothing could be more impor- 
tant to the welfare of their rising offspring, 
than a good education : and that it would be 



104 

wise in them to adopt such measures, as 
might be conducive to that knowledge, which 
would lead to the subsequent happiness of 
those, who would shortly succeed them in 
the cares of life. I spoke expressly of the 
long continued kindness of the Friends to 
their brethren on the Alleghany and Kata- 
raugus reservations, and that they contem- 
plated, as I had learned, the establishment of 
a school in Tonnewanta. I exhorted them 
to see that their children diligently attended 
the school, whenever it should be in opera- 
tion, that they might acquire much useful 
knowledge, and, especially, that they might 
be enabled to read and understand what God 
had spoken and recorded in the holy Bible. 

After the usual consultation. King made a 
reply in the name of the chiefs. He, how- 
ever, carefully avoided speaking a word about 
the Bible, its contents, or any thing I had de- 
livered relative to the christian religion. 
The most of his speech consisted in an enco- 
mium on the utility of schools, and a resolu- 
tion to promote the one contemplated by the 
Friends, as soon as it should be commenced. 
Without any further remarks he concluded, 
^y aaving, that they gave me a thousand 



105 



thanks lor what I had told them. 1 would here 
suggest, that previous to their reply, they 
several times asked me to repeat the chrono- 
logical facts, I had incidentally mentioned, 
and that they seemed anxious to retain the 
recollection of them. I took my leave of 
these poor pagan chiefs, probably never to 
see them again, till we meet at that august 
tribunal, the awful terrours of which for all 
tlie enemies of Jesus, I had endeavoured, in 
some measure, to unfold. 

We returned to Bennet's house, where the 
christian assembly statedly meet. Baldwin 
promised to follow, soon, and to interpret ; 
but he disappointed me. I saw him once 
afterwards, when he apologized by represent- 
ing that he thought we were to convene at 
Littlebeard's, and that he went thither with 
a view of fulfilhng his engagement to me. I 
<Tave him fifty cents, with which he appeared 
to be amply satisfied. Half of that sum 
would probably be sufficient to secure his 
interpreting services to any missionary on a 
like occasion. 

Bennet understood Enghsh better, perhaps^, 
than any other at Tonnewanta, except Bald- 
win. He had heard the long address in Eng- 



lOG 

lish and Seneca, and gave a copious detail 
of it to the christian party, while we were 
waiting for Baldwin. Having commenced 
with prayer and singing, I gave several short 
addresses, quoting texts of Scripture and ex- 
pounding the same. Bennet interpreted. 
At intervals, we attempted the praises of re- 
deeming love, by singing the Seneca hymns. 
I asked if some of the Indians present could 
not pray ? Oh, yes ! said Bennet. I told 
him, that it had not been customary to inter- 
pret prayers, as they were offered, and that I 
should be glad to have some one address the 
throne of grace, in a language, which they 
could all understand. He directed to Lewis 
Poudre, who, on my invitation, arose, closed 
his eyes, folded his hands in the manner of 
Massillon, all rising, at the same time, and 
prayed with a solemn tone of voice, without 
embarrassment, and, I trust, with pertinence. 
He is the son of a Frenchman, whom I for- 
merly mentioned, and whose first wife, the mo- 
ther of Lewis, was a Tonnewanta squaw. 

Bennet recapitulated a sermon, which he 
had, some time before, heard from the Rev. 
Eleazer Williams, of Oneida Castle^ who is 
well known. I again spoke on sundry texts 



107 

ot' scripture, urged the duty of prayer, and 
gave some account of several christian In- 
dians, at the eastward, who, in former times, 
had been remarkable for their attention to this* 
reasonable and indispensable religious exer- 
cise. I called on William Johnson to pray, on 
the suggestion of Bennet. He spoke with great 
fluency, engagedness, and pathos. In this 
manner we spent the day, and parted, mutu- 
ally pleased with the exercise, in which we 
had been engaged. 

On Wednesday, the thirteenth of Septem- 
ber, we reached Squauke Hill, at which place 
is the most populous aboriginal settlement on 
the Genessee river. Very opportunely for the 
object in view, we found the chiefs and prin- 
cipal Indians collected together, and busily 
employed in raising a log school-house. I 
had hoped for the aid of Captain Jones, as an 
interpreter, at whose house we stopped on 
our way ; but he, being absent, we proceed- 
ed without him. The deficiency was well 
supplied by Thomas Jamieson, another 
grandson of Mary Jamieson, before men- 
tioned, and an Indian, by the name of 
Straightback. 

Having introduced myself as a preacher of 



lOB 



the gospel to these people, they suspended 
their labours, and I immediately commenced 
the delivery of my message, which was, to 
appearance, cordially received by the assem- 
bly, within and without the logs of the half 
raised school- house. I spent an hour in 
speaking of the contents of the Bible, exhibit- 
ing the blessings it unfolds for all of every 
nation, who take it as the guide of their life ; 
and. finally, represented, that, whatever might 
be the present opposition to its momentous 
truths, it was certain, that, ere long, all mists 
of darkness, and errour, and delusion, would 
be done away ; that all the hateful passions 
of man, now at war with every thing holy 
and divine, would be made, by the all con- 
quering spirit of grace, to yield to the 
gentle and heavenly influence of that religion, 
wliich is taught in the word of God : when 
all fightings, injustice, and vice, would give 
place to brotherly love, righteousness, and 
holiness of life and conversation ; and the 
world would become an emblem of heaven. 
After a shdrt conference among the heads 
of the tribe present, agreeably to invariable 
usage. Tall Chief and Ivanada made, each of 
them, a formal reply, in which they stated 



iou 



that they had a clear understanding of every 
part of my address ; that they had gladly 
heard it ; and that they fully believed it. They 
said, further, that they wished for instruc- 
tion in the truths of the gospel, and that they 
should listen to all the ministers, who might 
come to show them the right path. Jamieson 
remarked, that, a year ago, not one at Squaukc 
HilK except Straightback and himself, was 
favourable to the christian religion ; but, 
that now, one Inlf of the Indians there ex- 
pressed the desire of an acquaintance with 
the gospel. Fifty children are expected to at- 
tend the school, the ensuing winter, which is 
to be under the patronage of the Presbyteries 
of Genessee and Ontario. In the same place, 
a few years since, the benevolence of Mr. 
Butrick, now successfully labouring in a dis- 
tant field, led him to attempt a school for the 
benefit of these tawny natives, but with very 
little encouragement of any beneficial result. 
A great revolution in Indian feelings, relative 
to the importance of moral and religious in- 
struction, at Squauke Hill, as well as at all 
the other reservations we have visited, has 
aken place in the course of the two last 
years, and which, no doubt, may be justly 

K 



ilu 



considered as among the signs of the times ; 
that the period is nigh at hand, which prophets 
have often foretold, and for which the people 
of God have long and earnestly wrestled in 
prayer. 

In this region we became acquainted with 
several clergymen, who expressed a readiness 
to preach to these Indians whenever in their 
power. They feel a deep interest, as all the 
pious must, in the welfare of the Theologi- 
cal Seminary at Auburn. The recent unani- 
mous appointment of the Rev. James Rich- 
ards, D.D. to a professorship in that new 
school of the prophets was a grateful subject 
of frequent conversation. 

On friday, the fifteenth of September, we 
called upon Mary Jamieson, at Gauhdaou, 
known, far and near, by the name of the 
White Woman. She lives in a comfortable 
Indian style, on one of the fertile bottoms of 
the Genessee, flanked by high, abrupt, and 
romantic banks. Her habitation is near the 
place, where, about three years ago, fifteen 
acres of land slid, in the night, from the side 
^)f a lofty and steep hill, with a frightful noise, 
(^irrying trees and rocks into the bed of the 
liver, to the amazinir terrour of the few abo- 



Ill 



riginal tamilies in the vicinity. I could have 
no opportunity to collect an assembly at 
Gauhdaou, of which I had been duly apprised ; 
yet, it seemed a duty to travel six miles out 
of our course, to have an interview with the 
aged white woman, the history of whose life 
is worthy of record. I found her able to con- 
verse intelligibly in English, but showing, at 
first, that reserve, which is a common trait in 
the character of the Senecas, male and female, 
yet more noticeable in the latter, than in the 
former. She, however, at length, became 
agreeably communicative, and gave a history 
of some of the principal incidents, which have 
marked her pilgrimage, and which are so in- 
teresting, that I shall be excused in detailing 
a few of the most prominent. I am more in- 
clined to do this, thinking it possible that my 
statement may find the way to some of her 
kindred, who have, probably, no knowledge 
of her past distressing trials, nor even that she 
is in the land of the hving. 

She was born at Marsh Creek, below Kon- 
negocheague, in Pennsylvania. Her parents 
were Thomas Jamieson, and his wife, who, be- 
fore marriage was Jane Irvine. They were 
from the North of Ireland but were of Scottish 



lie 

descent. At the age of thirteen years, a few 
weeks after the evacuation of Fort DuQuesne, 
in 1768, she, with her father, mother, a sis- 
ter, and two brothers, was taken by the 
Indians and hurried away into the wilderness. 
On the third day of their captivity, the Indians 
discovered, by their scouting parties, that 
many white people were in pursuit of them ; 
otherwise, all their lives would have been 
spared. These merciless savages, to facili- 
tate their flight and escape, killed the father, 
mother, sister, and two brothers, but suffered 
Mary to live, and travelled with all possible 
speed to the westward, taking her with them 
to a certain place on the Ohio river, proba- 
bly near the Little Beaver Creek, where they 
pitched their tents for some time, and then re- 
moved to a Shawnee town far below. Here 
she lived many years, married an Indian, and 
had several children. 

Once she attempted to desert the place and 
to make her way, steering towards the rising 
sun through the trackless desert, to the white 
people, and had proceeded many miles into 
the dreary woods, when the fond yearnings of 
a mother induced her to return to her littlr 



Hi 



children, whom she never after felt a di.^posi- 
tion to leave. 

Mary had an uncle, John Jamieson, wlui 
was killed at the time of Rraddock's defeat. 
She had two very young brothers, John and 
Thomas, who were not captivated with tlio 
rest of the family. 

Many years since, she saw a man, from the 
neighbourhood of her native spot, who in- 
formed her, that these two brothers were then 
living, as she understood, in some part of 
Virginia. If they still live, and are no 
strangers to the best sympathies of human 
nature, how must it delight them to learn, 
that a sister, who, no doubt, was supposed) 
more than sixty years ago, to have suffered 
the vengeance of the tommahauk and scalping 
knife, and who, once, seemed born to a bet- 
ter portion, than God in his mysterious provi- 
dence has seen fit to allot her, is yet on this 
side of the grave, sustaining the character of 
an inoffensive and estimable woman. 

The last words her mother spoke to her, 
just before the fatal weapon released her and 
so many of the family from the sorrows of 
life, were : Mari/, do not, at present, attempt 



114 

to run away — do not forget your English- 
do not forget your God. 

She had been taught at school, and said, if 
she could have had books, she thought that 
she should not have forgotten how to read, 
but that her sight was now impaired. She 
had learned the Assembly's Shorter Cate- 
chism, and was early made acquainted, by the 
care of her parents, with the duties founded 
on the word of God, and has, probably, often 
communicated the amount of her knowledge 
to the Indians. I remarked to her, that, as 
she had greater advantages, than the people 
among whom she had spent the most part of 
her life, it must have been in her power to 
have afforded them very important instruction 
as to the duties we all owe to our Maker and 
Redeemer. She said, in reply, that she used 
to teach her children when they were young. 
Pursuing the subject, and reminding her of the 
benefit she might still bestow on the ignorant 
natives, whom she. frequently sees, by speak- 
ing to them on the things of religion, she, at 
length answered with a quick articulation and 
considerable feeling ; the Indians know wlutt 
is right ; they know what is right well 
enough — they know what is right — hut thev 
mil not do it — ihey wJl not do if. 



116 

From other sources, in the vicinity of her 
residence, we learned something ot her other 
uncommon trials. After the death of her first 
husband, she came to the Genessee river with 
a considerable body of Indians and married 
Kottam, a chief, who then assumed her name, 
but who had been generally called Gauhdaou, 
from the place, where he hved. By him she 
had six or seven children, and has more than 
forty grand-children. Of her sons, three 
were living, a few years since. The young- 
est of these, being ambitious of the honour of 
his father's station in the tribe, he being dead, 
had recourse to murder, that there might be 
no competitor in his way for the sachemdom. 
He, accordingly, watched for an opportunity, 
when one of his brothers little suspected what 
was in his heart, and slew him. This was 
overlooked w^ithout any investigation. Some 
time after, his murderous hand plunged a 
dagger into the breast of his surviving broth- 
er. The chiefs then resolved in council that 
this fratricide should atone for his repeated 
outrage upon the rights of humanity with his 
own hfe. The mother, at this juncture, be- 
ing informed of what had been decreed, went 
forward to plead for him, representing, in de- 



116 

tail, her uncommon trials, that she had buri- 
ed two husbands and many children, that this 
was the only son she had left, and entreated 
that he might not be taken from her. In 
tenderness to this old woman, whom the In- 
dians much respect, the chiefs then resolved 
that she should have, what may be called, a 
lease of her son's life, during her continuance 
in the world, with the understanding, that, 
on her decease, the sentence, already pro- 
nounced, should be carried into immediate 
execution. Two years ago, this young Rom- 
ulus was killed by some of his countrymen, 
in a drunken frolic at Squauke Hill. Few 
men or women have drunk so deep the very 
dregs from the cup of affliction, as the pitia- 
ble Mary Jamieson. 

From the White Woman's Tract, as the 
reservation about Gauhdaou is called, we set 
our faces for Weskoi, on another reservation 
still further up the Genessee. On our way, 
we turned aside to view a great natural curi- 
osity, little frequented, and, probably, never 
before described, the falls in the river at Nun- 
da. With some difficulty we descended a pre- 
cipitous bank, and passed over a bottom to 
the margin of the river, where we stood upon 



117 



a solid shelving rock, and looked down the 
frightful chasm. We saw before us the sheet 
of water falling ninety-six feet upon a rocky 
bed, from which the spray rose, in a thick 
mist, and exhibited a well defined rainbow. 
Two other falls are above, and within a mile 
and a half of the one we visited. At the up- 
permost, the whole river has a perpendicular 
descent of sixty-seven feet, and, at the inter- 
mediate fall, that of one hundred and ten feet, 
as we were credibly informed. The want of 
time, with the inconvenience of access, pre- 
vented us the gratification of beholding more 
than one of these three cataracts, which in 
time of a high rise of water must be awfully 
tremendous. 

On our route, we ascertained, that the In- 
dians of the Weskoi settlement were search- 
ing the woods for ginseng, for which they 
had been promised two dollars a bushel, by 
a gentleman then manufacturing the roots of 
this plant into that transparent state, in which 
they command, in China, a generous price. 
As the road into that region was of a very 
discouraging aspect, and, as it would be of 
little advantage to visit deserted huts, we took 
our direction for the Buffalo Creek aborigi- 



118 

nai inhabitants, with whom I had engaged to 
spend a sabbath ; performing missionary la- 
bours, from place to place, among the white 
settlers, as I had done in all my peregrina- 
tions. 

On thursday, the twenty-first of Septem- 
ber, we had the pleasure of witnessing the 
operation of the Indian school, conducted by 
James Young, his lady, and Miss Low. It 
is in a midway situation between two of the 
principal villages on the Buffalo Creek, and 
was instituted under the patronage of the 
New- York Missionary Society. The house, 
lately erected, is well calculated for the de- 
signed object, and is furnished with a fine- 
toned bell of one hundred and fifty pounds 
weight. The lower story, divided into a 
competent number of apartments, affords 
comfortable accommodations for the worthy 
and indefatigable mission family. The upper 
story, consisting of one spacious room, the 
chimney being in the centre, with the fix- 
tures and appurtenances for reading, writing, 
ciphering, sewing, knitting, and spinning, is 
very convenient for the complex business of 
this flourishing seminary. The building, on 
the plan of its construction, may be consid- 



119 

erecl as a good model for such an aboriginal 
establishment. We were highly pleased at. 
the order and decorum, which marked the 
conduct of the pupils, both male and female, 
and at the proficiency they had made in the 
various branches, to which they had attendr 
ed. The school is daily opened and closed 
with prayer, and a hymn in Seneca, which 
many of the children, of both sexes, instruct- 
ed by Mr. Young, sing with great propriety, 
and exhibit a very interesting scene. 

Dennis Kusik, son of the venerable inter- 
preter at the Tuscarora village, near Lewis- 
ton, had recently spent considerable time at 
this place, and had left numerous pieces of 
writing, of different hands, showing a skill in 
penmanship seldom surpassed by any one. 
He has a natural taste for drawing, and some 
of the specimens of his ingenuity in this art, 
which we had opportuity to examine, indi- 
cate a genius worthy of encouragement.* 

The sabbath school, connected with this 
establishment, deserves a special notice, and 
I regret that it was out of my power to see it. 
Here the little natives assemble, from sab- 

* He died the following year of a pulmonary disorder, which 
is frequent among the Senecas. 



120 

bath to sabbath, trudging through the bush^ 
es, in some instances, four or five miles, to 
the amount of eighty, to hear of heaven and 
learn the ivay. There is, however, consider- 
able want of constancy in their attendance, 
as is the case at all the aboriginal schools, 
with which I am acquainted. 

The habits of Indians militate with that 
system of confinement and application, which 
is essential to a rapid progress. While some 
parents exercise their authority and cause 
their children to profit by the privilege gratu- 
itously offered, others, feeling httle anxiety 
on the subject of education, suffer them to 
act as they please. Many, again, are obliged 
to keep their sons and daughters at work on 
their lands, during the summer, so that, at 
that season, not more than fifteen boys have 
attended the school, at this place, from day 
to day, and about an equal number of girls ; 
the last winter, however, the average number 
of the former was forty-five, and that of the 
latter twenty-five. 

I had an interview, this day, with Pollard, 
now the head chief of the Senecas on this re- 
servation. I gave him, with the aid of 
Thomas Armstrong, an account of my mis- 



]21 

sion at Kataraugus, Tonnewanta, and 
Squauke Hill, and of the readiness, which 
many manifested in those places to listen to 
the solemn truths of religion. With a smile 
on his tawny face, which developed the grate- 
ful feelings of his heart, he replied, in this 
manner ; 

/ thank the Great Spirit for giving you 
health and strength to visit your red brethren 
again I hope the time will soon come, when 
the Indians and all people, every where^ will 
unite in calling on the name of the Lord, and 
take the wUy of God through Jesus Christ, 

In the evening, we were at the regular 
meeting of the Inchans at the council house, 
where, after singmg their principal tunes, I 
had opportunity to address a goodly number 
of fellow-creatures on the things, which per- 
tain to our everlasting peace. 

Tall Peter, an exemplary chief, as the peo- 
ple were about to disperse, arrested their at- 
tention by a statement he made relative to 
some one, who had been sick, and whose 
field of oats was sustaining injury for want of 
attention. He invited the men present to as- 
sist the next day, in cuttin^f and securing the 
oats, to which they cheerfully acceded. vSuch 
t 



122 

instances of kindness arc frequent with the 
Senecas. 

Snow and Little Johnson took care of our 
horses on this and the former occasion, while 
we continued in the place, and would receive 
no compensation, alleging, that they wished 
they could do more for the encouragement 
of ministers, who take pains to come and in- 
struct the Indians. 

On the sabbath, the twenty-fourth of Sep- 
tember, the council house was well filled with 
the aboriginals, and, amongst them, there were 
six chiefs ; Pollard, Young King, White 
Chief, Tall Peter, Seneca White, and White 
Seneca. A few people from the village of 
Buffalo were also present. The text used, at 
this time, was from Mat. xxviii. 19, 20. 

A brief notice only, of the leading ideas 
suggested, will be attempted. I spoke of 
the command, which Jesus gave to his minis- 
ters, just before his ascension, to preach the 
gospel to every creature of the human race ; 
and of the promise, which has been always 
verified, of his presence with all, who faith- 
fully engage and persevere in this work, the 
most important ever delegated to man, and 
which angels would delight to perform. I 



12o 

iiwelt on the indispensable obligation upon 
the heralds of the cross to go forward with 
ardour in the noble cause, neither fearing 
opposition from the powers of darkness, nor 
listening to the applause of the world. Paul 
felt the weight of this solemn obligation, 
when he said, wo is me if I preach not the 
gospel. If there be a necessity, laid upon 
the teachers of religion by the great Head of 
the church, to inculcate the truths of redeem- 
ing love upon all the children of men, there 
must be a corresponding obligation, on their 
part, to hearken to these momentous truths. 
Jesus has pledged his veracity to be with his 
ministers to the end of the world ; but how 
shall the Indians, with their imperfect know- 
ledge- be convinced whether they, who appear 
under this name, faithfully represent the will 
of the Redeemer or not ? Do not some, from 
the darkness of their minds, who make pre- 
tensions to this character, sometimes teach 
erroneous doctrines ? The appeal must be 
to the infallible word of God. How import- 
ant, then, that this word should be put into 
the hands and be deeply impressed upon the 
hearts of all, that they may see and judge for 
themselves. The holy Scriptures assure us. 



124 



that faith in Jesus Christ is essential to salva- 
tion. How shall the poor Indians attain to 
this pearl of incalculable worth ? It is the 
gift of God. Here, again, we are taught, in 
the same precious volume, that faith cometh 
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 
To this are we directed to look for all moral 
and religious instruction, and the excellence 
of this heavenly treasure, it is the duty, the 
privilege, and the honour, of the preachers of 
the gospel, continually to inculcate. Some, 
however, say that there is no occasion for 
preaching, that the Indians and all others 
have a light within, sufficient to guide them 
to eternal life. The language of the text, as 
I have been led to believe, imphcates a dif- 
ferent idea ; otherwise, the injunction before 
us would be perfectly nugatory. Furtheri 
Jesus said, except a man be born again, he 
cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus 
said, how can these things be ? Jesus did 
not say to him, in reply, that he had light suf- 
ficient to inform him of the necessity of this 
wonderful change ; but immediately pro- 
ceeded to preach to him upon this doctrine, 
setting an example, in this way, to all, whom 
lie should see fit to appoint to the office of 



125 



the ministry. Some, they were sensible., 
whose kindness to their fellow creatures, 
every where, commands respect, differ in 
S' < dment from the missionaries, vvho, occa- 
sionally visit them, as to baptism, the Lord's 
supper, and singing. It was no part of my 
duty to enter into disputations with the dif- 
ferent denominations of christians i my field 
Of labour ; but I should be unfaithful to my 
Lord and Master, not to ur^^e the instructions 
of his holy word, according to my best un- 
derstanding. He has directed his ministers 
to preach the gospel to every rational crea- 
ture, whether they will hear or forbear, and 
to baptize all, who believe, in the name of the 
Father, the Son. and the Holy Ghost. His 
command, the very evening in which he was 
betrayed, was, to commemorate his death, in 
his appointed way, till his second appearing. 
We have scripture authority, and there can 
be none higher, for speaking to ourselves in 
psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, sing- 
ing and making melody in our hearts to the 
Lord. If convinced that the Bible contains 
the word of God, we must repair to its so- 
lemn and interesting truths, as the man of 

L ? . 



1£G 

our counsel, the guide of our life, and the 
source of all our hope. 

The close of my address consisted in an 
exhortation to daily prayer, so often enforced, 
by precept and example, in sacred writ. I re- 
marked, that it was gratifying to the people 
of God to learn, that a goodly number of the 
Indians had been long in the habit of offering 
up their petitions in secret to that Being, who 
is perfectly acquainted with all our actions, 
words, and thoughts ; and that some of them 
could lead in the devotions of their public as- 
semblies ; but, that I had reason to fear, that 
none of them tendered the family morning 
and evening sacrifice of prayer and praise. 
I spoke of the importance of this duty and of 
the happy effects it was calculated to have 
upon their domestic circles ; and of the re- 
markable attention given to it by many hun- 
dreds of their christian brethren, in formti 
times, among the eastern Indian tribes ; and 
finally added, that God had declared, by one 
of his inspired ministers, that his fury should 
be poured out on the families, that call not on 
his name. 

After a short intermission, the religious ex- 
ercises were renewed, and Mr. Hyde contin- 



127 



lied the train of thought, in a plain, pertinent, 
and happy, manner. The greatest decorum 
marked the behaviour of the numerous audi- 
ence The attention of all was very gratify- 
ing, and the singing of the tawny choir would 
have delighted any one, who feels an interest 
in the spiritual welfare of these aboriginal de- 
scendants, who seem to be just emerging out 
of pagan darkness into the glorious light of 
the gospel. Tall Peter and Seneca White 
closed the two meetings with prayer. The 
latter, in a speech of some length, recurred 
to the leading topics of discourse, urging 
with his own arguments their importance, 
and, particularly, what had been ofiered in 
reference to the duty of family worship. 

On the following day, we took our depart- 
ure from this reservation, and our leave of 
the faithful labourer in this vineyard, Mr. 
Hyde, his worthy consort, and family. It is 
truly grateful to witness the wonderful appa- 
rent alteration for good, both temporal and 
spiritual, which has taken place among the 
aborigines of this region, since my mission in 
3 818. This is to be attributed, in no small 
degree, under providence, to the edifying ex- 
ample of the mission family, and to the reite- 



128 



rated christian instructions of that man ot 
God, who, at times, almost overwhehned 
with difficulties, which I have not time to un- 
fold, has persevered, passing by good report 
and evil report, aiming at the interest, hon- 
our, and glory of his divine Master, by exert- 
ing, for a series of years, his best talents in 
the best of causes ; and who has now the 
heart-cheering comfort and joy, from the pre- 
sent aspect of his charge, of anticipating 
what God will shortly do for the salvation of 
this long benighted and too long neglected 
people. He has acquired much of the dia- 
lect of the Senecas, by his intercourse with 
them and by the aid of Thomas Armstrong, 
for several years an inmate in his family, his 
able interpreter, whose kind services repeat- 
edly afforded I have to acknowledge, and who 
is his assistant in translating select portions 
of the book of God. It is highly important 
that Mr Hyde should be encouraged in his 
labours to furnish this people with the words 
of eternal life. 

It is worthy of special remark, that the 
families of the christian party, in the course 
of the two last years, have cleared more land, 
made more enclosures, and raised mose grain 



i 



120 

than they had ever done before in live timcij 
that period. Last year, they had a thousand 
bushels of corn more than their exigencies 
required. In former seasons, they would 
have suffered for want of bread, but for the 
contributions of the I enevolent among their 
white brethren. In a moral and religious 
point of view the alteration is equally great, 
and must animate those individuals and soci- 
ties. heretofore pitying, and, in the spirit of 
the gospel, exerting themselves to give them 
the light and the comfort of the truth, to per- 
severe, and not to be weary in well doing. 

We took our course through Isshua and 
Big Valley to the reservation on the Alle- 
ghany river. The improvements and popu- 
lation of the western counties, in New- York, 
have increased with astonishing rapidity since 
my first visit to those regions in 1817. 

As we were entering the last mentioned 
Indian territory, I was severely threatened 
with the prevailing fever, and with difficulty 
could I proceed, yet daily travelled, except 
on the sabbath, which we spent at Warren, 
till we arrived at Meadville. 

On thursday, the twenty-ninth of Septem- 
ber, we once more visited the hospitable man- 



130 

sioii of Jonathan Thomas, on the Tunesassaii., 
a small mill-stream, which enters the Alle- 
ghany below Cold Spring, which is called, in 
the language of the natives, Teyunekoneyu. 
Here we had a cordial reception, as I have 
had, repeatedly, in times past. Joseph Elk- 
inton, who, for several years previously to the 
council of June, 1819, had diligently and suc- 
cessfully taught the school at Cold Spring, 
had recently arrived from Philadelphia with 
a respectable deputation from the Society of 
Friends in that city. 

Mr. Thomas, with the characteristic love 
and good will of the Friends, has long exert- 
ed his talents and influence to promote a re- 
gard to morals among the natives of his vi- 
cinity. By his mild and amiable deportment, 
by his example and counsel, and by his many 
offices of benevolence, much good has been 
done to this aboriginal people His patience, 
however, has been often tried, by the ig- 
norance of all, by the obstinacy of some, and 
by the jealousy of many Indeed, the latter 
trait in the Indian character will probably be 
the last to yield to any culture, which christ- 
ian philanthropy may attempt. It seems a 
filing almost impossible to convince the na 



131 

lives of the wilderness that white people have 
no selfish purposes in their endeavours to 
meliorate their temporal and spiritual condi- 
tion. Much allowance, however, ought to 
be made in apology for their jealous appre- 
hensions, when it is considered how often, 
and in how many different ways, they have 
been wronged, in the most abominable man- 
ner, by the vile and unprincipled among the 
white people. 

Last year, I had the pleasure of spending a 
little time at this place. It was soon after 
the noted council of June. Blacksnake, a 
chief, who had ever been a friend to Mr. Elk- 
inton's school, was carried away by the influ- 
ence of Red Jacket, and returned with the 
resolution to abolish it. A council was as- 
sembled, at which I was present. Black- 
snake entered into a full statement of his 
fears, as to the result of all the kindness the 
Indians had ever experienced from the 
Friends, representing that so much could not 
be done for them without the expectation of 
some future remuneration, and that, perhaps, 
in the issue, they would be driven from their 
lands into the woods, far towards the setting 



132 



sun. Mr. Thomas replied by giving an in- 
duction of particulars. 

When the Friends first undertook to instruct 
the Indians of that reservation in agriciilture, 
various mechanical employments, and to 
read, write, and cipher, Mr. Thomas the 
superintendant, with his family, occupied a 
tract of their land. He made an extensive 
clearing, enclosed it with a good fence, and 
put it into a state of high cultivation, that 
the natives might see of what their territory 
was capable. When the place at Tunesas- 
sah, adjoining their reservation, was bought 
by the Society of Friends, Mr. Thomas re- 
moved, leaving in good order the buildings 
and all the improvements he had made for 
the use of the Indians, without askiiig any 
compensation. Nothing had been requested 
for the numerous implements of husbandry 
and the various tools necessary in the several 
mechanical exercises to which they were now 
become accustomed, and never would be. 
Could they not believe him ? Had he ever 
deceived them in any one thing ? Blacksnake 
had expressed a willingness that the school 
should be continued near their land, and that 
those, who were disposed to send their chil- 



133 



dien, should do so still; but his wish wa=, 
that every one should pay for the tuition of 
the pupils he might furnish. Mr. Thomaa 
replied, that it was perfectly agreeable to 
him, that any of the Indians, who chose, 
should pay for the schoohng ; but stated 
that, some years before, when the chiefs in- 
sisted on it, such was their importunity, and 
such their gratitude for the kmdness of the 
Friends, he had accepted twenty dollars of 
the money from their annual public grant ; 
and what use did he make of it ? He shortly 
after added forty dollars to the sum, bought 
a fine yoke of oxen, and presented them to 
the Indians. Blacksnake said that he knew 
all this to be true. Well, said Mr. Thomas, 
I will now tell you what I shall do with the 
school money you or any others may please 
to pay. It shall all be laid out in books, 
paper, slates, and pencils, and given to the 
pupils of the school. Mr. Elkinton told 
them that the garden, which, at his leisure, 
he had cleared and fenced, and which was 
very productive as well as beautiful, would 
also be left for the use of the Indians, without 
the expectation or the wish of any reward. 
By the time the business of the council 



134 

was brought to a close, this chief seemed to 
think it was best to let the school proceed as 
usual. . It has, however, been suspended for a 
while, but, in all probability, will be soon re- 
newed. The children of the school were 
much attached to their teacher, who, by a ju- 
dicious management, has led them on to im- 
portant acquisitions. He offered, on the pub- 
lication and introduction of Mr. Hyde's little 
books, sixpence to every one, who should 
learn and repeat the Lord's prayer in Seneca 
and English. The proffered premium had the 
desired effect. The children were encouraged 
to write letters, which they generally addres- 
sed to their preceptor or Mr. Thomas. Many 
of these pieces of English composition, from 
the young aboriginals, were presented to me, 
which it would gratify you to inspect. 

I was too unwell to attempt to address the 
Indians, here, even if an opportunity had 
been afforded. We passed down the Alle- 
ghany, calHng at several of the cabins, by the 
way, till we arrived at Jennesadaga, where I 
hoped to have had an interview with Corn- 
planter. He was not at home ; yet we had 
particular information as to the present state 
of his mind. In my last communication, I 



135 



gave you some account of his mental derange- 
ment. This has, unhappily, continued to the 
present period, to a certain extent, and he 
seems to have lost, even in his most lucid in- 
tervals, his former impressions, which he has 
often expressed in the strongest language, in 
reference to the truth, the excellence, and the 
importance of the christian religion. All 
his representations, for nearly two years, have 
been in favour of the ancient aboriginal mode 
of worship. Hence, the pagan party, on Buf- 
falo Creek, not long since, sent for him to a 
council, thinking to strengthen their cause by 
the aid of one, who had been, formerly, the 
most popular and influential chief in th« Se~ 
neca tribe. He readily attended, and en- 
deavoured, by an address, to prop their totter- 
ing system ; but, the powers of his mind were 
evidently, so impaired, that no notice was 
taken of his speech. 

While we regret the situation of the once 
venerable, thoughtful, and, seemingly, not 
only almost persuaded, noble spirited Kiend- 
twohke, and the cloud, which still hangs over 
one half of his tribe, there is great reason to 
rejoice at the smiles of heaven, which, at 
length, are beginning to beam, with gladsome 



136 



rays, upon this long neglected people. God, 
in the wisdom of his providence, has prepared 
the way for tendering the blessings of religion, 
pure and undefiled, to all the territories of the 
Senecas. 

A few years since, no missionary could 
have had the sanction of the chiefs for de- 
livering the messages of grace. Now, there 
is, not only a willingness in a majority of 
these chiefs, but an eagerness, an anxiety, to 
hear and to understand the words of eternal 
life. Some ha;ve been under deep convic- 
tions ; and a few, it is conceived, have chosen 
that good part, like Mary of old, which will 
never be taken from them. 

SoOn may we expect to see churches or- 
ganized, and the ordinances of the gospel 
duly administered, in a region, which the 
prince of darkness has ever claimed, and the 
present opposition gradually subid-ng till all 
these tawny sons of the forest shall flock to 
the standard of the cross This happy period, 
to judge from the signs of the times, is fast ap- 
proaching. The angel, now in the midst of 
heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach 
to every nation, kindred, and tongue, will 



337 

shortly reoch his utmost bounds ; and, soon, 
will the pitiable savages of every clime com- 
mence the everlasting song of redeeming 
love. 

Your respectful brother in the gospel, etc. 



isa 



LETTER \ . 

Addressed to the Rev. Abiel Holmes, D,V 
LL.D., etc. 

City of New -York, 8th June, 1827. 
REV. AND DEAR SIR, 

After the lapse of several years, I re- 
sume my pen, m order, to offer a few miscel- 
laneous statements in reference to those abo- 
riginal inhabitants of Pennsylvania and New- 
York, who were the subject of former com- 
munications. 

As Cornplanter, who is known, among his 
people, by the name of Kiendtwohke, and, 
sometimes, by that of Nonuh, although, in 
common conversation, usually, addressed by 
the respectful title of Shinnewaunah, has 
been a prominent and interesting topic of re- 
mark, in times past, it will, no doubt, afford 
you gratification, to receive an additional ac- 
count of this celebrated Seneca chief, thougli 
sorrow, for the present state of his raind. 

I had the opportunity, which I cheerfully 
embraced, to make him a visit, in a recent 



lay 



excursion to Jemiesadaga, and the Alleghany 
reservation. I found him in good health, ap- 
parently glad to see mc, and, lor a man ol' 
about eighty-four years of age, active anJ in- 
telligent in the management of his secnlur 
concerns; yet, evidently, to a certain extent, 
under some derangement of intellect, as may 
be inferred from the subsequent detail. 

On former occasions, I delighted to forward 
you and other friends of the poor, long neg- 
lected, and pitiable, descendants of that noble 
race of mortals, who first possessed tliis 
goodly heritage, such documents, as induced 
the heart-cheering expectation, that Corn- 
planter was destined, in the overtures of di- 
vine mercy, to become a champion of the 
cross. The ways of Providence are dark and 
intricate. Our brighest hopes are, some- 
times, blighted in the bud ; yet the Lord 
reigneth, and we shall hereafter perceive the 
vvisdom of his measures^ in those present mys- 
terious dispensations, in the contemplation of 
which, we are often tempted to exclaim, like 
the good old patriarch, Jacob, " all these 
tilings are against" us. 

In recalling your attention to this once 
noble spirited and seemingly m-ore than almost- 



140 

persuaded chief, it is a matter of regret, in 
our limited apprehension, that all his former 
views, to me and others repeatedly and ener- 
getically expressed, on the importance of the 
christian religion and of the education of the 
youths in his tribe, are entirely altered. He 
seems to have re-adopted his early opinions, 
which, for a length of time, were magnani- 
mously abandoned, and to be settled down un- 
der the idea, that, although the gospel may be 
suitable for the white population, the religion 
taught him and his red brethren and fathers, 
as he supposes, by Nauwenneyu, or the Great 
Spirit, is the best adapted to the circumstan- 
ces and character of Indians. He endea- 
vours to enforce his present sentiments, yet 
with little avail, by an appeal to certain in- 
structions, which, as he constantly asserts, he 
has received, from time to time, for five or 
six years, by the instrumentality of an audible 
voice, from some invisible being, and whose 
mandates, as he considers it his duty, he is 
determined to obey. These instructions he 
is commanded, by their author, to impart for 
the good of his people. If faithful in execut- 
ing the requirements of the office assigned 
him. he is assured by the same unseen speak- 



141 

er, whom he believes to be the Great Spirit, 
that ten years shall be added to his life, as a 
temporal reward. 

The lessons he is directed to inculcate, so 
far as they relate to an interdiction of intoxi- 
cating liquors and of various immoral practi- 
ces, are in harmony with what his late half 
brother, the prophet, as the Indians styled 
him, diligently taught, in the latter part of liis 
life ; and, if duly observed, would be attend- 
ed with a very salutary effect. It would bo 
well if all these vocal revelations were of an 
equally beneficial import. Unhappily, how- 
ever, so far as his influence may extend, this 
aged chief represents the Great Spirit as de- 
claring, in these extraordinary communica- 
tions, that Indians have no occasion to keep 
the sabbath and that this institution is de- 
signed exclusively for the white people. 

At one time, he was told by the oracular 
or supernatural voice, that he had been a great 
warriour, but that now, as he was advanced 
far into the vale of years, it was time to lay 
aside every thing calculated to excite ideas of 
war ; and that there were several things in his 
house, which, to this end, he must destroy, 
that he might have nothing, in the way, t<. 



142 

prevent him from studying and promotmg the: 
blessings of peace. The Great Spirit, he 
aays, specified, for his definite information, a 
gword, which General Washington gave him : 
a gold laced hat, which was a donation from 
Governour Mifflin ; also, a French flag and a 
superb belt of wampum, trophies of valour, 
which had been retained, for several genera- 
tions, in honour of some of his wife's ances- 
tors, who won them in battle, perhaps, two 
hundred years ago. 

Cornplanter, conscientiously regarding the 
injunction, made a large log heap, put the 
sword upon it, set fire to it, early in the morn- 
ing, and stood by it, all day, till the pile was 
reduced to ashes, and of that venerated im- 
plement of war scarcely a relic remained. At 
other times, he committed to the flames the 
gold laced hat, the French flag, and the belt 
of wampum, which with the sword were once, 
in his estimation, the most precious articles in 
his cabinet. 

Several years since, Cornplanter sent to 
Kataraugus for Henry York to come and in- 
terpret his communications from the Great 
Spirit, with a view to their publication. They 
were accordingly interpreted, and committed 



U: 



to writing ; but his friends have not encourag- 
ed their impression. I saw the manuscript 
and hastily examined its contents. 

It commences abruptly with an account oi' 
the origin of the human race. A man is said 
to have dug a hole through the upper world 
and to have compelled a woman to sit on its 
margin with her feet suspended in it. The 
man then went behind her, gave her a kick, 
and she fell through to this lower world. 
The birds, witnessing the descent of this 
heavenly stranger, flew to her aid, or she would 
have fallen into a lake. In process of time, 
she had two children, and, when arrived at old 
age, told tliern that she should die, and de- 
signated the spot, where they were directed 
to bury her. From her grave, white corn, 
squashes, ground nuts, and tobacco, grew. 
These, Cornplanter says/ were not brought 
over the big water by white men. 

The above statement, whether- founded on 
some aboriginal tradition, or a supposed com- 
munication made to Cornplanter, I did not 
fully understand, as his manuscript book con- 
tains notices of what the voice has declared, 
confusedly intermixed with an historical aC' 
count of some of the incidents of his life, hi^ 



144 

reflections on the ill treatment the Indians havr 
received from the British and the people of 
the United States, and certain other matters. 
Among the things recorded this is probably 
worthy of belief; that, in the course of his 
life, he has killed, with his own hand, seven 
men, and taken three prisoners, whom he did 
not destroy. 

As a farther evidence of some mental dis- 
order, this noted chief made a speech, of 
consi'derable length, at a late council, when, 
instead of delivering it, in his accustomed 
manner, he sung it, from the beginning to 
the end, in a tune of his own invention, to the 
great amusement and astonishment of his 
hearers. At the close of this musical perfor- 
mance, he gravely stated, that the Great Spirit 
had commanded him, for the future, to sing 
all his speeches. 

The following anecdote is honorary to his 
character. He has often related it, showing 
much satisfaction in speaking and reflecting 
on the hazardous and benevolent exploit he 
performed. 

At a certain period of the revolutionary 
war, Cornplanter ascertained that his father, 
whom he had not seen for manv years, had 



145 

Ikllen into tlie hands of an enemy, and was to 
be put to death. At the imminent hazard of 
his own life, he rushed into the midst of the 
savage foe, with wonderful prowess and 
strength, rescued his father from tlie ven- 
geance of the tommahauk and scalping-knifc, 
conducted him, in haste, a considerable dis- 
tance, from the Indian camp, made himself 
known to him as his son, told him that he 
could proceed with him no further — that he 
could do nothing more for him, and that, if he 
fled, in a certain direction, with the utmost 
speed, he might possibly escape, as he actual- 
ly did, with his life. 

Perhaps you may think that I have written 
too much of this hero of the forest. The 
past celebrity of his character is the only 
apology I offer. 

Cornplanter, once the terrour of his ene- 
mies and the glory of his tribe ; at a subse- 
quent period, in the full exercise of his strong 
mental powers, nobly exerting- himself for a 
knowledge of religious truth, and cordially 
yielding to its dictates, so far as brought to 
his understanding, seemed, for a season, to be 
destined, in providence, to become a burn- 
ing and a shining light to his people ; but the 

N 



146 

alhvise God has been pleased to frustrate the 
expectations of the christian community, and 
is suffering his sun to go down in a cloud. 

I will add a biief notice of the school, once 
instituted at Jennesadaga, repeatedly men- 
tioned in former letters, and pass to more 
grateful scenes. This school, for several 
years, an object of no small interest to Corn- 
planter, to other intelligent Indians, and to its 
benevolent patrons, and which was instru- 
mental of good to its pupils, was abandoned 
by the Western Missionary Society, soon after 
the partial derangement of that chief, at whose 
suggestion and importunity, it was first estab- 
lished. The worthy Samuel Oldham, its pre- 
ceptor, the influence of whose godly example 
and instructions will not be forgotten, return- 
ed to his paternal plantation, in a part of Vir- 
ginia not far from Wheeling, where, in Janua- 
ry of the current year, he sweetly closed his 
pilgrimage in the believer's hope. " Blessed 
are the dead who die in the Lord." 

I once more became a sojourner in the 
cabin of Peter Kraus, whose family, by inter- 
marriages, at present, amounts to about twen- 
ty. In his neighbourhood are several natives, 
who are anxiously seeking the kingdom of 



147 



heaven, in different parts of the Alleghany 
Indian reservation there is an unusual religi- 
ous excitement. A few months since, a large 
aboriginal assembly was convened to hear the 
Rev. Mr. Harris, of Seneca, whose preach- 
ing was with uncommon acceptance and 
happy effect. At his next visit, some of the 
tawny natives are expected to make an open 
profession of their faith, to be baptized, and 
to enter into covenant engagements. 

In the parts, to which I repaired, many 
Indians are desirous of building a meeting- 
house, of competent dimensions, in a situa- 
tion, to accommodate the inhabitants of 
Cold Spring and those in the settlements near 
Peter Kraus, and the white people in the vici- 
nity ; that they may enjoy the preached word, 
from sabbath to sabbath ; and that they may 
be instructed in all things pertaining to the 
well being of christian society. Some of 
them also said, that they would cheerfully do 
their part for the support of a faithful minis- 
ter, who should reside among them for their 
spiritual benefit. While they express a grate- 
ful sense of the early and long continued 
kindness, which they have experienced from 
the Society of Friends, thev feel an ardent de- 



148 

sire for such public religious instruction and 
for the enjoyment of such special ordinances 
of the gospel, as that Society do not think it 
their duty, with their peculiar views, to en- 
courage. 

Were it not for the influence of Black- 
snake, a pagan chief on this reservation, 
there is much reason to conclude, that many 
of the pagan party would desert their stand- 
ard for that of the christian. It is worthy of 
remark, that his eldest son, one pagan chief, 
and several others, heretofore hostile to the 
christian party, have, within a few weeks, 
avowedly espoused their cause. In this way, 
inroads are continually made upon the strong 
holds of Satan. 

.The Society of Friends persevere in their 
labours of love for the amelioration of the 
condition of the aboriginal natives. To pre- 
clude all occasion of offence, they have relin- 
quished the school-house at the village of 
Cold Spring, and have erected one on their 
own premises. The Indians have built a 
cabin near it, where their children can board, 
as convenience may dictate, while attending 
the assiduous instructions of the kind heart- 
eil Joseph Elkinton. The Friends have also- 



141^ 

coimaendably, established a working school 
for the exclusive benefit of young females, 
who are taught, by a matron, to sew, knit, 
spin, and weave. 

In my toUrs, from one aboriginal settlement 
to another, which, of late have been princi- 
pally with the design of ascertaining the pre- 
sent condition of this interesting people, you 
would think me guilty of inexcusable neglect, 
not to have paid my respects to the Cicero of 
the lake region, whose expressive aboriginal 
cognomen is Sogweewautau, known, far and 
wide, by the name of Red Jacket. 

Last year, while on a certain peregrination, 
I had an interview, at Buffalo, with this 
shrewd opposer of missions and of all, who 
are attempting to drive the Indians far into 
the western woods. By the aid of Captain 
Jones, from the vicinity of Squauke Hill, a 
distinguished interpreter of the Seneca lan- 
guage, I inquired whether his views of the 
christian rehgion were not become more fa° 
vourable, tlian in times past ? As soon as 
he understood my question, he replied with 
great firmness and decision and some feehng, 
looking me, contrary to the general practice 
'>f Indians, full in the face, his black niercinjr 



15© 

eyes seemingly flashing with indignation, 
that they icere not ; that he had reflected much 
on the subject; that he had made up his 
mind ; that he believed the morals of the In- 
dians to he far worse in consequence of the 
white people ; and that he did not wish to talk 
any more about it. 

Within a few weeks. Red Jacket's wife 
has been brought under deep and pungent 
convictions, and she is anxiously inquiring 
what she shall do to be saved. This cele- 
brated pagan chief is extremely angry with 
her, on this account, and declares that he 
will never live with her again. 

I spent the last sabbath in April of the 
present year, on my way to this city, with 
the pious and indefatigable mission family at 
Seneca. Here, as was formerly anticipated, 
a christian church has been gathered from 
those, who, a few years since, were in the 
darkness of heathenism. It consists of four- 
teen members, who are adorning their pro- 
fession by a holy v/alk and conversation, 
with a fair prospect of further accessions to 
their number. 

The school, under constant afiectionate 
watch and instruction, consistincr of ncarlv 



151 



sixty youths, about one third of whom arc 
females, is a most interesting object. In ad- 
dition to a daily attendance upon religious 
exercises and the common duties of the 
school, agricultural employments are pursued, 
at intervals, by the male, as are various im- 
portant domestic concerns, by the female? 
part of the pupils. They are all neatly 
clothed, comfortably fed, and diligently 
taught ; and they exhibit marks of content- 
ment, happiness, and flattering improvement. 
The Holy Spirit has been among them, and 
there are, already, indications, that some of 
these are to become the future heralds of sal- 
vation to their tribe. 

I here, providentially, met with the Rev» 
Mr. Hyde, frequently mentioned in my for- 
mer communications to you. He was ordained, 
several years ago, and has been diligently 
labouring in vacant congregations of white 
people in sundry parts of the gospel vine- 
yard ; but neither forgets, nor is forgotten by, 
the Senecas, who were first led, under the 
great Head of the Church, by his instructions 
and example, to an acknowledgment of the 
truth. The seven hymns, in Seneca, which 



Hk 



he composed and published, have been sung, 
seven years, and the chiefs, having requested 
him to enlarge their number, are much gra- 
tified by his recent prompt attention to their 
wishes. With his knowledge and the aid of 
which he can avail himself, he might soon 
translate, at least, one of the gospels into the 
Seneca dialect. This would be very useful 
among about two thousand seven hundred 
aboriginal inhabitants. If the means for his 
support could be provided, he would be an 
important coadjutor in this missionary estab- 
lishment. The harvest is great and the la- 
bourers are few. One minister cannot satisfy 
the desires of all, who are longing for reli- 
gious instruction in the numerous villages 
scattered over such a wide extent of country. 
If he were to devote a part of his time to 
ministerial labours in those portions of the 
tribe, which Mr. Harris, with his constant 
cares, can but seldom visit, and a part of it 
to translating select portions of scripture, he 
would have opportunity for rendering essen- 
tial service to the spiritual interests of a peo- 
ple, who are, more than ever, awake to the 
importance of the christian religion. 



163 

1 will now offer an historical fact, showing 
the utility of hieroglyphical representations 
in arresting the attention of people in an ig- 
norant heathen state, and bring this commu- 
nication to a close. 

A copper plate engraving, exhibiting a 
human heart, replete with figures of hateful 
insects and serpents, pubhshed by Mrs. Si- 
mon, a christian Jewess, to give an idea of 
the hateful disposition of an unrenewed heart, 
was lately shown- by a missionary of this sta- 
tion, to a woman of the pagan party. By 
aid of these noxious rreatures> thus delineat- 
ed, she was taught the natural awful deprav- 
ity of every child of Adam, and the sad work- 
ings of an unsanctified heart, that fountain of 
corruption. When she had carefully at- 
tended to the familiar, apposite, aad intelli- 
gible, explanation given, she said that this 
was an exact description of her heart. She 
was deeply affected, and brought to convic- 
tinos, which, in due time, issued in hopeful 
conversion. 

A further notice from my pen, relative to 
those aboriginal inhabitants, who have so 



154 

often been a subject of my animadversion, is 
inexpedient, as the active superintendant of 
their spiritual concerns faithfully forwards, 
from time to time, to the American Board 
of Missions, under which he acts, statements, 
which gladden the people of God, and are 
published in the Missionary Herald, a work, 
which ought to be read in every habitation, 
throughout the United States, for the early, 
authentic, interesting, and important, reli- 
gious intelligence it contains. 

The signs of the times, rapidly multiplying 
upon us, indicate, with a heart-cheering pre- 
cision, that the happier era, of which inspired 
men often spoke, and for which saints have 
daily sighed and prayed, is, at length, actu- 
ally beginning to daWn upon the world. Our 
missionaries, fired with the zeal of the primi- 
tive disciples of Jesus, are penetrating into 
the bosom of the American desert — into the 
islands of the western ocean — into the domi- 
nions of the modern Moloch — and into the 
land of the patriarchs and prophets, every 
where, erecting the standard of the cross. 
Alleluia I the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 
All Christendom is roused from her slumbers : 



155 

and the nations, which slept in the darkness 
of death, are awaking to the ghmmers of that 
heaven- born light, which. like the bright and 
morning star, is the precursor of a glorious 
day — soon to burst upon the world. 

Your respectful brother in the gospel, 

TIMOTHY ALDEN. 



APPENDIX. 



NOTE A. 

The following lines, inscribed by the Rev. Tim- 
othy Alden, of Yarmou'h in Massachusetts, to his 
eldest son, 27 June, 15^26, are deemed worthy 
of preservation, from the circutnstance, th.it their 
Author entered the ninetieth year of his age, on 
the 5th of the preceding December. 

Blay the young branch,* to parents given, 
Be spared, and raised an heir of heaven. 

May other branches, each, be led 

In wisdom's peaceful paths to tread. 
May you, the parents, grace possessing, 
With all your offspring, be a blessing. 

My offspring all, of every grade, 

Seek the divine and nee<lful aid. 
* C. A G M. A. 
O 



158 

Strive to gaia the happy prize-— 
Id all your steps be just and wiscc 
May every blessing serve to raise 
A sacred song of joy and praise. 
May heavenly smiles your life attend, 
And heavenly bliss, when time shall end. 
In these few lines I'll not neglect 
To bear in mind, with due respect, 
The matron dear,* who claims a place 
With those, who do thy mansion grace. 
May she in peace and virtue shine, 
And dwell with God in love divine — 
Receive from offspring due regard, 
And share with them Heaven's kind reward. 



NOTE B. 

The following are the principal aboriginal ap- 
pellative and other words which occur in the pre- 
ceding pages, and are written with as much pre- 
cision as circumstances would admit. An inter- 
pretation is added with occasional remarks. 

K6sh'-e-nuh'-te-a-gunk" ; the place where much 
broken straw and other drift stuff are accumulated 
together. This is the name, which was given by 
*? M. 



159 

the tafrny natives to the rapid stream, in Warren 
county, one of the best in Pennsylvania for mill-- 
seats, which empties into Alleghany river, on its 
western side, at a beautiful prairie belonging to 
General Callender Irvine of Philadelphia. It is 
now known by the name of Brokenstraw. 

Chaud-dauk'-wa, usually but iQaccurately, writ- 
ten Chatauque. The former mode exhibits the 
word as pronounced by Cornplanter, whose au- 
thority, in Seneca, may be considered as paramount 
to that of V/alker, in English. The tradition 
among the Seneca Indians is, that, when their an- 
cestors first came to the margin of this lake, 
which is eighteen miles in length, had spread their 
buffalo and their beaver, and had reclined their 
weary limbs for the night, they were roused by a 
tremendous wind, which, suddenly and unexpect- 
edly, brought the waves upon the shore, to the 
jeopardy of their lives. It was probably such a 
tornado, as, occasionally uprooting, fells the stur- 
diest trees of the wilderness, wherever it strikes. 
The ravages of several such are noticeable on the 
swell of land south of lake Erie, in veins of vast 
length, and some of them have unquestionable 
marks of great antiquity. The aboriginal history. 



IGO 

as handed down from father to son, further repre- 
sents, thai, in tlie confusion of the scene, a little 
child was swept away by the surge beyond the pos- 
sibility of recDvery. Hence, the name of the lake 
is Chauddnukwa ; the radix, from which this is 
formed, sig-nif) ing- a chUcl The two first syllables 
of this word are long, and the consonant, at the 
end of each, is to be distinctly sounded. [See the 
Author's Aboriginal, Num. V. Alleg. Mag. Nor» 
1816.J 

Ki-end-tw6h'-ke ; the planter. Notwithstand- 
ing the literal meaning of the word, this venerable 
chief, by long usage, is called Corn planter. He is 
also known in his tribe by the name of 

No-nuh' ; the thoughlfal or contemplative. 

Jln'-ne-sta"-je. A clergyman is designated by 
this term, because he appears in a black garb. 

Jen'-ne-sa-da" ga ; burnt houses. Cornplanter's 
village is so called, because it was once destroyed 
by fire. The word makes a good dactyle and 
spondee, prosodial feet, which abound in Seneca. 

Wen-diJDg~guh"-tah ; he is just gone by. 

Kin-ju Flats ; Jlshjiats. 

Alleghany is the name, in the language of the 
Delaware Indians, given to one of those nearly 



161 

parallel mountainous ridg-es, which stretch through 
the southern and middle states, and signifies, as 
the late learned occidental scholar, Benjamin 
Smith Barton, M.D. informed the author, not long 
before his death, the gre it war path. This sub- 
lime rampart of nature, reaching to the clouds, 
was, as may be well supposed. like the wall of 
China to the inhabitants of that empire in refer- 
ence to the Tartar hordes, an important barrier 
between the warlike natives of the Atlantic and 
those of the western regions. [See Aboriginal^ 
Num. VI.] 

The majestic stream, known by the name of the 
Alleghany, had this appellation given to it by 
the white inhabitants. The rienecas, as in for- 
mer times, so at the present day, always call it 
0-he"-y6, which, in their language, signifies the 
handsome river. They make but one river of that 
and the Ohio. 

Au-neh'-yesh ; the tall one. , 

Squish'-an-a,-doh"-t6h ; bald hilljlat. 

N'ye-iJch"-gau K6s-k6ng'-sha-de. This is the 
name, which Henry Obeal gave the author for the 
Niagara Falls, the latter word signifying broken 
water. It is impossible to write with correctness 



162 

the former word in English characters. In the 
first sjliahle there is a shght sound of the letter n. 
The second ends, in this example, with the Ger- 
man ch. This however m the German alphabet is 
a g-uttural. The rienecas m this syllable, as in 
manj words of their h.oguage, have a sound, which 
may be called a pectoral, and must be learned 
viva voce. 

So-g-we' e'-wau"-t6h;/ie is wide awake, and 
keeps every body else awake, a very appropriate 
name for the Cicero of the west. His English 
appellation had its origin from the circumstance of 
his wearing, when a child, a red jacket. 

T6n'-ne-wa.n'''-ta ; swift running water. If the 
last syllable be written, as it is, sometimes, with a 
d, this letter must have its softest souiirl, approxi- 
mating to that of i, and hardly distinguishable 
from it. 

G6s'-kiik-ke-wau'-nau K6n'-ne di"-e yu. This 
is the lofty-sounding name, by which the prophet, 
so called, Cornplanter's half brother, was known 
and is interpreted — a large beautiful lake. 

Kl-at-ta'-e-6 ; hanging bodies. 

Ka-si-a-des'-tah; halt the party. 

Koh'-kun-de-noi"ya; eels are there. 



163 

This noted Indian died, in the neighbourhood of 
Peter Kraus, at the uncommon age of about one 
hundred and five years. i 

Nau-wen-n6"-yu; the term by which the Su- 
preme Being is designated, usually, though not de- 
finitely, rendered by — the Great Spirit. 

Kau-kau 2:ed' Hg \Jlying crow. 

Ta'-se-o" '.va ; something like a split blanket. 

Gauh-da-ou' ; cf^iycy bank. The g in this local 
appellative has its softest sound, nearly like that 
of ^. 

Ju-nes'-se"-y6 ; pleasant day. The penult has 
the prolonged accent. From this original is the 
Angl icized — Genessee. 

Koa-noh ken'-tou-we ; broiling in the Jire, 

Tu-ne-sas-sah ; a place of pebbles. 

Te-yu'-ne-ko-ne"yu ; Cold Spring. The nenul- 
timate of this melodious appellative is to be pro- 
nounced with what may be pertinenth called — the 
Seneca characteristic drawling accent.^ as must be 
many words in this mellifluent dialect. 

As a further specimen of aboriginal names, the 
following, which are found at Tonnewanta, are ad- 
ded, with an interpretation. 

Hau-sah-nut ; a name known. 



1G4 

Twen-iia-ga-sko ; a raised voice. 

No-waun-ga-til ; a carrying stream. 

Kau-jis ton-de; Jlying fire. 

Ta-gau-wus'-hah ; twenty canoes. 

She-gwi-en-dauk'-we ; a hanging spear. 

Kau-na-6ng-ga ; two wings. 

Ta-ki-6n-de ; news in the air coming towards 
you. 

Tah-a-wus ; he splits the sky. 

The following are found in other parts of the 
Seneca tribe. 

Jin-gues'-tah ; big smoke. 

Ah-guah'-di'-e-a ; hot bread. 

Sau-kin'-jii-woh' ; the great Jish. 

Se-non'-ge-w6h' ; the great kettle. 

Kl-6-da'-gu ; a settler of disputes. 

Sha-dik-hau' ; a tall chief. 

Te-gi'-end-hah ; a black snake. 

Names of more singular meaning than the fore-* 
going are not unfrequent among the Senecas. 
For instance ; an uncle of Red Jacket was known 
by an appellation, which, literally interpreted, 
signifies — a heap of dogs. 



NOTE C. 

The Society for pnoPAGATiNG the Gospet. 

AMONG THE IniHA^S AND OTHERS IN NoRTH 

America, 
To the Rev. Timothy J 'den sendeth greeting ; 

By virtue of (he ) ower vested in us by an act 
of the Legisi ture of Ma.sachusets, bearing date 
the 19lh of November, 1787, we appoint you a 
Missionary to propagate the Gospel among the 
Senecas and Munsees in the W. parts of New- 
York and Pennsylvania, and white inhabitants in 
Iheir vicinil}, conHding in your christian piety, 
prudence, knowTeilge. literature, and other quali- 
fications necessary for that office, and expecting 
your conformity to such instructions as you may 
receive with this cornmiiision, or at any subse- 
quent oerioJ during your mission. 

This appoiniment is to continue in force for the 
period mt^ntioned in your instructions, or as may- 
hereafter be prescribed by t^e Society. 

Given under our seal at Boston, the 5th day of 
June, 1«17. 

A. Holmes, Secretary. 

William Phillips, President. 



16G 



NOTE D. 

As this little volume is expected to circulate 
extensively among the friends of the late Mrs. 
Alden, it will, no doubt, gratify them to see the 
following niemoir in the pages of its Appendix. 
It was published in the Christian Herald for Janu- 
ary, 1822. 

MEMOIR OP 

Mrs. ELIZABETH SHEPHERD ALDEN. 

Mrs. Alden was the daughter, and the only 
child, who lived to years of maturity, of Captain 
Robert Wormsted, of Marblehead, in Massachu- 
setts, where she was born, on the thirtieth of Ja- 
nuary, 1779. 

Her father was one of the active and intrepid 
heroes of the revolutionary contest. He was 
wounded in the memorable battle of Bunker-hill, 
and participated in the honour of capturing the 
Hessians at Trenton. During a considerable 
part of the war, however, he was engaged as an 
officer in some of the governmental vessels under 
Commodore Manly, or in privateering, and re- 
peatedly signalized himself by feats of valour,. 



167 

which were long the subject of flattering eulogy. 
In 1782 he was lost at sea, in the twenty-eighth 
year of his age. 

Her mother, originally Martha Shepherd, was 
a daughter of Captain John Shepherd, of Marble- 
head, who, in 1761, perished with all his crew 
and property, the latter consisting of the vessel 
and cargo, on Block Island, as he was returning 
from a prosperous voyage, designed, even if his 
life had been spared, to have been his last. 

After the marriage of Mrs. Alden, which took 
place on the nineteenth of January, 1797, it added 
much to the happiness of her family, that Mrs. 
Wormsted made one of the number till her depar- 
ture from live, which was at Boston, on the twen- 
ty-fifth of September, 1809, in the triumphs of the 
christian faith and hope. 

One of her maternal ancestors, James Calley, 
Esq. became, in 1714, one of the principal foun- 
ders and benefactors of the Episcopal church in 
Marblehead, in which she was a communicant at 
the age of seventeen years, and to which her fa- 
mily connexions had generally belonged, from its 
first establishment. 



158 

The subject of this article, although depj'ived 
of a father's tender care in the morning- of her 
days, was favoured with the life, the pious coun- 
sels, and the edifying- example of her excellent 
mother, and the unwearied religious instructions 
of her maternal g-randmother,"^ than whom few 
have ever exhibited bri2;-hter evidence of a real 
lover and a faithful follower of the Lamb of God. 

Of ttje amiable disposition, personal accomplish- 
ments, and intellectual endowments of Mis. Al- 
den, however disting-uislied and worthy of record, 
it forms no part of the present desi<rn of the writer 
to offer a delineation. Little more is intended, 
than a brief memorial of one, who, in the period 
of her youth, was the friend of Jesus; who, in 
subsequent life, found him lovely and the chief 
among- ten thousands ; and who, in the prospect 
of death, with a sole reliance on the merits of this 
blessed Redeemer, was honoured with that peace, 
which the world can neither g-ive nor take away* 

For the encourag-ement of parents, and espe- 
cially of mothers, to be incessantly persevering 

* For notices of this tnothor in Israel, as also of Captain 
Robert SVormsted and his wile, the reader i> referred to Al- 
den's Biographies; and Historical Collection, Vol.1, Article 
72, and Vol. Ill, Articles r)25, 5J6. 



169 

in their exertions for the spiritual welfare of theii' 
little children, a precious charge, it may be re- 
marked, that the subject of this memoir, from an 
early age, was deeply impressed with a sense of 
the all-pervading notice of God; and, no doubt, 
through a blessing from heaven on the reiterated 
pious counsels and exhortations of her parent and 
grand parent, from whose domestic altar, for they 
made but one family in their widowed state, and 
that was a picture of happiness, the grateful in- 
cense of morning and evening prayer and praise, 
sweetened by the word of God, daily rose to the 
throne of Him, who is the husband of the widow 
and the father of the fatherless. 

The following anecdote, which may serve for an 
illustration of the foregoing statement, first came 
to the knowledge of the writer since the decease 
of iVIrs. Alden. 

Some of her little companions, when she was a 
child, used expressions in their colloquial inter- 
course, which she had been taught to consider as 
very displeasing to her Maker. When she was 
at the age of about six years, being one day with 
her playmates in a garret where there was not 
much light, some of them, having noticed that she 
P 



170 

never used the profane languag-e which they oc* 
casionallj uttered without compunctions of con- 
science, and of the import of which they had pro- 
bably but an imperfect knowledg-e, told her that 
she should speak such words as they did. She re- 
plied, T must not, for it is wicked. But you shall, 
said they, for we are up in the garret, nobody will 
hear you. JVb, she said, / must not^ for God will 
hear me. But you shall, they again rejoined ; it 
is all dark, there is no window, nobody can see 
you JSTo, she once more replied, maintaining her 
integrity, no, I must not, for God will see me. 

The writer now passes to the closing scene, mere- 
ly stating that, with a heart sanctified by grace, 
dignity of deportment, prudence of speech, a faith- 
ful attention to the temporal and spiritual welfare 
of her family, kindness to the poor, and an esrem- 
plary regard to the ordinances of the gospel, uni- 
formly marked the pilgrimage of this precious 
saint. 

Mrs. Alden's constitution, always feeble, was 
gradually yielding to the inroads of disease for 
more than a year previous to the last conflict ; yet 
she was able, for the most part, to superintend her 
domestic concerns till about seven weeks before 



171 

death. The eleventh of February she spent witk 
her daughter, Mrs. Farrelly.* On the following 
day she rode a short distance with her husband. 
This was the last time she was abroad. Her dis- 
order seemed now to settle on her lungs, which, 
at times, were greatly affected during the remain- 
der of life. The skill and diligent attention of an 
eminent physician could not retard the steps, nor 
avert the stroke, of death. Though favoured with 
many intervals of comparative ease, yet, repeated- 
ly, her sufferings, when every breath was with a 
groan, were almost intolerable. Her own "-ernark 
was, that no tongue could tell what she endured ; 
still she was never known to murmur, but was a 
pattern of fortitude and patience. In the niidst of 
the paroxysms of her anguish, filled with admiring 
gratitude at the dying love of Jesus, she consoled 
herself with the reflection, that all her sufferings 
were nothing to what her blessed Saviour had 
borne for her, adding, that there was a difference 
between groaning at the exquisite indescribable 
tortures she endured, and murmuring at the hand 
of God, 

^ Consort of the late Hon. Patrick Farrelly, who died 12 
Jan. 1826. 



172 

Boon after her confinement, she was forcibly 
impressed with the idea that she should not re- 
cover ; yet her disorder exibited so many flattering 
symptoms, in its progress, that all, interested in the 
continuance of her valuable life, could not but in- 
dulge the strongest expec I ntions that shewouid have 
been spared ; so reluctantly do most people believe 
what they are unwilling to realize. Convinced in 
her own mind that her pilgrimage was nearly at 
an end, she said it could not shorten her days to 
consider herself as about to leave the world, and, 
while she had it in her power, she thought it her 
duty to impart her councils and instructions. She, 
accordin,'-ly, said much, from time to time, to the 
several members of her family, which, it is hoped, 
will not be forgotten, and which has not been with- 
out a Messing. 

As to herself, she said that she knew it was her 
duty to be resigned to the will of lier heavenly Fa- 
ther,3nd, at times, felt as if she cast herself at the foot 
of the cross ; but then, looking upon her husband 
and children, those idols, as she called them, she 
found the ties to the \rorld stronger than she could 
justify. She referred to the following paragraph in 



173 

Baxter's Saints' Everlasting Rest, a favorite work, 
as expressingf her situation. 

" O my soul, look above this world of sorrows. 

Hast thou so long- felt the smarting rod of affliction, 

and no better understood its meaning ? Is not every 

stroke to drive thee hence? Is not its voice like 

that to Elijah, what dost thou here? Dost thou forget 

thy Lord's prediction ? In the world ye shall have 

tribulation ; in me ye may have peace. Ah, my dear 

Lord, I feel thy meaning ; it is written in my flesh, 

engraved in my bones. My heart thou aimest at; 

thy rod drives, thy silken cord of love draws, and 

all to bring it to thyself. Lord, can such a heart 

be worth thy having ? Make it worthy, and then 

it is thine ; take it to thyself, and then take me. 

This clod hath life to stir, but not to rise. As the 

feeble child to the tender mother, it looketh up to 

thee, and stretcheth out the hands, and fain would 

have thee take it up. Though I cannot say, my 

soul longeth after thee ; yet I can say, I long for 

such a longing heart. The spirit is willing^ the 

jlesh is weak. My spirit cries, let thy kingdom 

come, or let me come to thy kingdom ; but the 

flesh is afraid thou shouldst hear my prayer, and 

take me at my word. O blessed be thy grace, 

vp 2 



174 

which makes use of my corruptions to kill them- 
selves ; for I fear my fears, and sorrow for my 
sorrows, and long- for greater longings ; and thus 
the painful means of attaining my desires increase 
my weariness, and that makes me groan to be at 
rest." [Fawcett's Abridg. ch. 16, sec 24.] 

In taking a retrospective view of her life, she 
noticed the numerous merciful dealings of Provi- 
dence she had experienced, and lamented thai she 
had not been more active and more zealous in the 
service of her Lord and Master. On one occasion 
she mentioned the names of her youthful friends 
and associates in her native place, speaking par- 
ticularly of one after another, who, in the morning 
of life, had had the blessing of health and a firm- 
ness of constiiution, which seemed to promise a 
much longer existence in the world, than she 
could anywise have anticipated with her feeble 
frame, but of whom not a small proportion had for 
years been mouldering into dust. It was a ground 
for thankfulness which she often expressr 1 that 
God had been pleased to spare her life till her chil- 
dren were in a manner passed the necessity of a 
mother's care 

From the ftrst stage of her last illness she was 
blessed with a strong faith and a cheering hope : 



175 

yet, at times, clouds of darkness obscured her 
prospect. Once, her sins, as she stated, seemed 
to rise like mountains before her, and she burst 
into tears ; but the heavenly Comforter soon came 
to her relief. Once she complained of the buffet- 
ings of Satan ; but, repairing to the blood of the 
cross, she was enabled soon to obtain the victory, 
calmness, and a sweel rehance on iiim, who is 
willing and mighty to save every humble, contrite, 
and broken-hearted, sinner. She exhibited much 
self-abasement, and claimed nothing from any 
works of righteousness she had ever performed ; 
yet it would be hardly possible to find any one, 
who from early childhood had lived a more con- 
scientious and exemplary life. Her language, in 
reference to her deeds, whi<:h others might justly 
praise, was, / have nothing, 7iothing, nothings pro- 
nouncing the word with increasing energy, to plead 
on the score ofinerit. I feel that 1 am a sinner. 
All my trust is in the merits and mercy of my bless- 
ed Redeemer and Saviour. This is the state of my 
mind. 

The subject of this communication was, by the 
riches of grace, delivered from all bondage through 
fear of death, and often spoks, with the utjno=:f 



176 

composure, of the time when her clayey tabernack 
should be dissolved. In anticipation of that period, 
for it was frequently in her mind, she had with her 
own hands prepared, while in health, such habili- 
ments for her mortal remains as seemed proper, 
and had entrusted them to the care of a faithful 
domestic, so that, when they were wanted, they 
were ready. 

She daily spoke of her children, the last and 
strong-est cord, which binds the heart of an affec--- 
tionate mother to earth. To a near friend she 
once modestly unfolded something of the ardent 
feelings and wrestlings of her soul for them, when 
last receiving the symbols of her Saviour's dying 
love. It was in the new presbyterian church, at 
Meadville, the first sabbath it was occupied for 
religious worship. The writer will not undertake 
to describe the secret and solemn scene. He will 
only say, it must have been such, as the holy min- 
istering spirits, present on all communion occa- 
sions, ever behold with delight. 

As this beloved disciple of Jesus approached the 

liour of separation, her ties to the world gradually 

lost their hold, and she was willing, as it might 

lease God, to star, and toil, and suffer, in this 



177 

vale of tears, with those, who were dear to her as 
life, or to depart and be with Christ, which, for her, 
was far better than all the transitory enjoyments 
of this imperfect state. 

A few days before death, speaking of the exer- 
cises of her mind, she said in nearly the following- 
words ; / have such a love for Jesus^ I feel as if I 
could go to the ends of the earth, like the mission- 
ariesy to serve him. In meditating on this blessed 
Saviour, lam sometimes in a kind of rapture. 

She was a warm friend of missionary exertions, 
bible societies, sabbath schools, the monthly con- 
cert of prayer, and of all thosp, operations, so nu- 
merous and remarkable, of the present ag-e, for 
hastening the latter day glory of the christian 
church. Hence, next to the Bible with Scott's 
Annotations, the Panoplist and Christian Herald 
commanded her regular attention, while favoured 
with comfortable health, as furnishing tlie most 
interesting intelligence on subjects, which lay 
near her heart. 

At length the day arrived, which, contrary to 
the expectations of her family till about one hour 
before her release from the body, was to deprive 
them of their greatest earthly comfort ; but, thanks 



178 

be to God, to add to the choir of Heaven. Never 
will the writer forget with what a heartfelt em- 
phasis and ecstacy she repeated these well known 
lines a little before death. 

Jesus can make a dying bed 

Feel soft as downy pillows are, 
While on his breast I lean my head 

And breathe my life out sweetly there. 

Speaking again of her spiritual state, she said. 
I have not that triumph, which is desirable, hut 
I have a strong faith, a strong hope^ and I think 
that the calmness and composure, I have been in' 
dulged with, are in consequence of my faith and 
hope in the mercy of God. 

When struck by the King of terrours, she ex- 
claimed once at the exquisite pain of his dart ; but, 
in an instant, was restored to her accustomed se- 
renity, and endeavoured to sooth the minds of her 
children, who were greatly affected at the idea of 
parting with a parent so kind, so tender, so affec- 
tionate, so faithful, so greatly beloved. This is 
the last sentence she uttered, with her expiring 
breath, in a holy transport of joy — worlds coitld 
not purchase the hope that I have. 



179 

The final symptoms of an immediate close of 
this uncertain life were now fully manifest. All 
the members of her family and a few friends being 
present, and kneeling around her dying bed, her 
husband, having one of her hands in his, while 
one of his daughters held the other, endeavoured 
to resign her in prayer to the God, who had lent 
him such a treasure. During the prayer, of a 
few minutes' continuance, she was seen to cast 
her eyes, still retaining their usual lustre, upon 
her husband and each of her children, in succes- 
sion ; but, at the conclusion of the short prayer, 
they were fixed ; her senses, her consciousness, 
till that moment entire, were gone. There was 
no struggle, no groan, no motion of a limb ; her 
breathing was gentle, like that of a sleeping babe. 
At length the spirit left the body, it could scarcely 
be determined when ; and such a smile was upon 
her countenance, after the immortal part had 
taken its flight, as seemed to indicate that she 
had had a glimpse, before she bade adieu to the 
world, of the joys, which cannot be expressed. 

The event, so painful to surviving relations and 
numerous friends, but so happy for the subject of 
this memoir, took place on the third of April, 1820. 



180 

The funeral exercises were performed with chris- 
tian fidelity and tenderness by the Rev. Amos 
Chase, of Centreville. The respectful attentions 
and sympathy of many, in every direction, expe- 
rienced by the family on the trying occasion, will 
long" be remembered. 

Thus, Mrs. Alden. one of the excellent of the 
earth, in the midst of her days, is entered upon that 
resty which remaineth to the people of Ood, leav- 
ing two sons and three daughters, whom the Lord 
preserve to imitate the christian virtues, to have 
the well grounded hope, and to die the death of 
one, whom they can never cease to recollect with 
gratitude, affection, and respect. 



THE END. 












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